To highlight the mood-boosting benefits of exercise, sportswear brand ASICS has partnered with Islington pub The Lexington to serve trainers as well as pints this week.
The sportswear brand will feature on The Lexington’s menu on Thursday, 25 and Friday, 26 January.
Between 4pm and 6pm on these days, asking for an “ASICS Dry Run” at the bar could get you a free pair of trainers rather than a pint.
What’s the deal with Dry January?
Research commissioned by ASICS earlier this month found that 25% of Brits attempted Dry January this year, but one in four gave up within the first week.
Gary Raucher, Executive Vice President of ASICS EMEA, said: “Whilst Dry January can be a great way to kickstart the New Year, it’s important to build healthy habits for the long term.
“ASICS was founded on the belief that sport and exercise benefit the body and the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS. It’s an acronym for the Latin ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body.’”
Of the participants taking part in Dry January, 25% said they were considering running as an alternative activity to drinking.
On social media, there is an increasing amount of content about the sober curious movement, with users taking to the platform to discuss their relationships with alcohol.
The hashtag “Sober” has 906.6K posts on TikTok, and the world of “RunTok” has also exploded, with 2.8M posts under #Running.
A recent YouGov survey found nearly half (44%) of 18-24-year-olds surveyed considered themselves either an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives, compared to 31% in 2022.
The power of exercise
A 2022 study published in The International Journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research found that a single bout of aerobic exercise improved self-reported mood and emotional reactivity.
Additionally, a meta-analysis (which combines the results of lots of other studies) published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2021 found exercise interventions can be an effective accompanying treatment for individuals with alcohol-related diagnoses.
Professor Brendon Stubbs, a prominent researcher in the field of physical activity and mental health, said: “For those missing the ‘feel-good’ effect of a drink or two this Dry January, the good news is that exercise can give you even more of a mood boost.
“Scientific studies show that moderate exercise increases the flow of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. In fact, research shows there is a 50% greater mood improvement from just 20 minutes of exercise than consuming alcohol.”
ASICS trainers will be ‘served’ at The Lexington between 4pm and 6pm on 25, and 26, January while stocks last,
Featured image credit: Jakob Owens via Unsplash
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