A global study commissioned by ASICS has revealed that extended periods of desk work significantly impact mental health, with just two hours of continuous work contributing to a decline in well-being. The study shows stress levels rise sharply after four hours of sitting, but a short burst of physical activity—15 minutes—can reverse these effects, offering potential solutions for office workers facing mental health challenges.
The findings are part of ASICS’s ongoing efforts to promote mental well-being in the workplace, which includes the release of a public service announcement (PSA) starring Emmy award-winning actor Brian Cox. In the video, Cox portrays a harsh boss to highlight the silent threat posed by sedentary desk work.
“Who would have thought a desk could be scarier?” Cox said in a statement. “It’s great to see ASICS try and do something about this and encourage people to support their mental health through exercise.”
ASICS’s “State of Mind” study, which involved more than 26,000 participants worldwide, showed a strong link between inactivity and deteriorating mental health. Additional research on desk-based workers found that mental state scores begin to drop after two hours of sitting, and stress levels increase by 18 per cent after four hours. However, the “Desk Break” experiment led by Dr. Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London found that incorporating a 15-minute movement break improved mental state scores by 22.5 per cent.
Stubbs emphasized the unexpected power of short, frequent movement. “What surprised us with the Desk Break experiment was how powerful the 15-minute movement breaks were in improving well-being and reducing stress,” he said. “It even changed people’s perceptions of their workplace for the better.”
The experiment, which involved 80 desk-based workers from multiple countries, showed that regular movement breaks not only reduced stress but also increased productivity by over 33 per cent. Workers also reported feeling more relaxed and loyal to their employers after incorporating daily activity.
ASICS, known for its focus on the mental benefits of exercise, hopes to motivate more employees to integrate movement into their workdays. Tomoko Koda, managing executive officer for ASICS, emphasized the importance of these breaks.
“Our global study revealed that the hours spent at your desk are having a real and scary impact on our minds,” Koda said. “We hope to encourage office workers around the world to move and feel the mental benefits.”
In the lead-up to World Mental Health Day on October 10, ASICS is encouraging office workers to take a 15-minute “Desk Break” and share images of their empty desks to raise funds for mental health charities globally.
The initiative aligns with ASICS’s broader mission, rooted in its founding principle of promoting “a sound mind in a sound body.”