Day: 9 April 2024

• Global ASICS study of 26,000 people reaffirms the connection between movement and the mind and uncovers a direct link between teenage physical activity and adult mental wellbeing
• Each additional year a teenager remains engaged in exercise is associated with improved State of Mind scores in adulthood, with the ages of 15-17 identified as the most critical years for staying active
• Yet, younger generations are disengaging from exercise earlier and in larger numbers, potentially impacting their mental wellbeing now and for years to come

LONDON, April 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, ASICS is announcing the results of its second Global State of Mind Study, which reaffirms a positive link between physical exercise and mental wellbeing and uncovers a link between being physically active in teenage years and positive mental wellbeing in adulthood.

The study of over 26,000 respondents across 22 countries found that the more people exercise, the higher their State of Mind scores¹. Across the globe, respondents who are regularly active² have an average State of Mind score of 67/100, while inactive³ people have a much lower State of Mind score of just 54/100.

What’s more, the study uncovered that being physically active in your teenage years directly impacts your mind later in life. Participants who engaged in exercise throughout their adolescence report higher activity levels and State of Mind scores as adults. The findings indicate that remaining active as a teenager is key to establishing good exercise habits that last into adulthood and positively impact adult mental wellbeing.

In fact, the study was able to pinpoint the ages of 15-17 as the most critical years for staying active and when dropping out of exercise significantly affects your mental state for years to come. Those who regularly exercised at 15-17 years old are found to be more likely to remain active later in life and report higher State of Mind scores as adults (64/100 vs 61/100) than those who weren’t active during these years.

In comparison, respondents who dropped out of exercise before the age of 15 displayed the lowest activity levels and lowest State of Mind scores in adulthood. 30% are still inactive as adults and they are shown to be 11% less focused, 10% less confident, 10% less calm and 10% less composed compared to those who were able to exercise throughout adolescence.

In fact, every year a teenager remained engaged in regular exercise is associated with improved State of Mind scores in adulthood. Those who stopped exercising before the age of 15 display an average State of Mind score 15% lower than the global average, while a decline in physical activity at 16-17 and before the age of 22 reduced their average scores by 13% and 6% respectively.

Worryingly, the study also uncovered an exercise generation gap, with younger generations being increasingly less active. 57% of the Silent Generation (aged 78+) said they were active daily in their childhoods compared to just 19% of Gen Z (aged 18-27), showing a concerning trend of younger generations dropping out of physical activity earlier and in larger numbers than the generations before them.

Globally, members of Gen Z have the lowest State of Mind scores with an average of 62/100 compared to the Baby Boomers’ 68/100 and the Silent Generation’s 70/100.

Professor Brendon Stubbs, a leading researcher in exercise and mental health from King’s College London, said: “It is worrying to see this decline in activity levels from younger respondents at such a critical age, particularly as the study uncovered an association with lower wellbeing in adulthood”.

Gen Zs across the world are already exhibiting the lowest State of Mind scores (62/100) in comparison to the Silent Generation (70/100), so this could be hugely impactful for future mental wellbeing across the world.”

Tomoko Koda, Managing Executive Officer for ASICS, said: “ASICS was founded on the belief that sport and exercise benefit not only the body, but also the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS: ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body’. The results of our second global State of Mind Study show how important it is that young people stay active and the impact this can have on their minds for years to come. At ASICS, we’re committed to supporting and inspiring people to move for positive mental wellbeing throughout their lifetime.”

To find out more visit:
https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/mk/stateofmindstudy2024

NOTES FOR EDITOR

About the ASICS 2024 State of Mind Study
The 2024 State of Mind Study was conducted between 17 November – 21 December 2023 and explored the relationship between exercise and State of Mind across the world.

Over 26,000 people were surveyed across 22 markets including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the US. Each market sample was nationally representative by age and gender.

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¹The ASICS State of Mind score is out of 100, calculated based on the accumulative mean scores across ten cognitive and emotional traits – positive, content, relaxed, focused, composed, resilient, confident, alert, calm, energized.

²150 minutes or more of physical activity per week (as defined by Sport England).

³Less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week (as defined by Sport England).

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Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,” is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes as well as other athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.asics.com.

The stripe design featured on the sides of the ASICS^® shoes is a registered trademark of ASICS Corporation.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/25d28040-7b04-44cb-a421-97418e91c297

MEDIA CONTACTS:
For further information or to organise interviews, please contact asics.somi@golin.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000933726

World Leader in AI-Powered Captioning Solutions Introduces the new LEXI DR (Disaster Recovery) and LEXI Recorded

NEW YORK, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  AI-Media, the global leader in AI-powered captioning, is set to unveil two new products at the prestigious NAB Show 2024, scheduled from 14-17 April in Las Vegas USA. Renowned for its cutting-edge innovations serving the broadcast industry, AI-Media’s latest offerings; LEXI DR (Disaster Recovery) and LEXI Recorded are poised to revolutionize the captioning market.

In addition to showcasing numerous updates on products such as LEXI and our IP and SDI range of encoders, AI-Media is most excited to showcase the new LEXI DR product, a groundbreaking solution that ensures uninterrupted captioning delivery even in the face of cloud and connectivity disruptions. With LEXI DR, broadcasters can rest assured that their captions will always remain on air with minimal interruption, thanks to seamless caption workflow integration, on-premises redundant servers and flexible setup options via virtual machines or hardware. This solution offers 99.99% caption uptime, scalability with up to 10 instances available per LEXI DR unit plus the confidence that data is secure with robust encryption and security measures. LEXI DR exemplifies AI-Media’s commitment to providing reliable, resilient, and secure captioning solutions for the broadcast industry.

AI-Media will also introduce LEXI Recorded, designed to streamline the captioning process for recorded content. The solution offers unprecedented turnaround speed and cost efficiencies making it perfect for time-sensitive news clips, highlights, and promos. LEXI Recorded boasts features such as bulk processing, accuracy above 98%, flexible file output types, multilingual options, plus can be integrated into the caption workflow so files can be captioned without leaving the media management system. With LEXI Recorded, broadcasters can ensure fast, cost-effective captioning of their recorded content with unmatched precision and ease.

“At AI-Media, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said James Ward, Chief Sales Officer at AI-Media. “We are thrilled to unveil LEXI Recorded and LEXI DR at NAB Show 2024, showcasing our relentless pursuit of excellence in captioning technology. LEXI DR represents the ultimate component in achieving full captioning automation. LEXI DR completes the automation of the captioning process. Previously, human intervention served as a backup, but LEXI DR revolutionizes this by eliminating the need for manual oversight.”

In addition to the product launches, AI-Media will feature an “Innovation Station” at their NAB booth, where attendees can explore exciting new technologies that are part of the company’s product roadmaps. Previews will showcase advancements in generative AI and its application in crafting topic models, also referred to as custom dictionaries. These topic models enhance accuracy by offering contextually relevant word suggestions and pronunciations based on themes, topics, and subject matter. Additionally, previews will feature innovations such as speaking subtitles or dubbing, as well as automated audio description. AI-Media is able to leverage decades of broadcast experience to ensure their captioning solutions are interoperable across different workflows, video standards and regions. As a leading innovator in the captioning industry, AI-Media remains committed to driving progress and shaping the future of accessible media worldwide.

For more information about AI-Media and its groundbreaking captioning solutions, visit:

AI-Media: AI-Media.tv

LEXI DR (Disaster Recovery): https://hubs.ly/Q02rWtMD0

LEXI Recorded: https://hubs.ly/Q02rWtLS0

About AI-Media:

Founded in Australia in 2003, AI-Media is a pioneering technology company specializing in innovative captioning workflow solutions. As a global leader, AI-Media provides high-quality AI-powered live and recorded captioning and translation technology and solutions to a diverse range of customers and markets worldwide. For the first time in February 2024, AI-Media was able to unveil groundbreaking data showcasing the superiority of its AI captioning product, LEXI, over traditional human workflows. This milestone further solidifies AI-Media’s position as the foremost AI technology leader in live and recorded captioning workflow solutions. With a commitment to utilising our deep industry experience and sophisticated AI technology to create solutions which streamline and simplify processes, AI-Media empowers leading broadcasters, enterprises and government agencies globally to ensure seamless accessibility and inclusivity in their content. Ai-Media (ASX: AIM) commenced trading on the ASX on 15 September 2020.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0fde5af3-8765-4882-abaa-03746dcde8af

Media Contact: Fiona Habben – Fiona.habben@ai-media.tv

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9086266