Get away from your desk and move around! Walk, run, stretch – it doesn’t matter, just do something for the good of your mental – and physical – health.

That was the message from ASICS as the world prepared for World Mental Health Day earlier this month and it unveiled a public service announcement (PSA) warning the world to leave their desks and move for their mental health. The spot starred none other than rough and tough actor Brian Cox urging people to get up and move.

The ASICS’ Global State of Mind Study, involving 26,000 participants, found a strong connection between sedentary behavior and mental well-being, with State of Mind scores declining the longer individuals remain inactive.

Further research into desk-based work found that State of Mind scores drop after two hours of continuous desk work and stress levels rise. And after four hours of uninterrupted desk work, stress levels increased by 18 percent. 

However, a new Desk Break experiment showed that 15 minutes of movement can help reverse the effects.

The Desk Break experiment, overseen by Dr. Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London, found that when office workers added 15 minutes of movement into their working day, their mental state improved by 22.5 percent, with participants’ overall State of Mind scores increasing from 62/100 to 76/100. The experiment showed that taking a daily desk break for one week lowered stress levels by 14.7 percent, boosted productivity by 33.2 percent and improved focus by 28.6 percent.

Participants reported feeling 33.3 percent more relaxed and 28.6 percent more calm and resilient. In addition, four out of five indicated that “they would be more loyal to their employers if offered regular movement breaks.”

In the PSA, Cox plays the role of the world’s scariest boss to highlight the silent threat to our mental health — the desk we work at every day. The PSA calls on office workers to put their mental health first by taking a Desk Break, a short movement break, during work hours.

Watch the Asics Desk Break PSA here.

Actor Brian Cox said, “I’ve played some pretty intimidating characters in my time, but who would have thought a desk could be scarier? It’s great to see ASICS try and do something about this and encourage people to support their mental health through exercise. As I say in the film, run, jump, roller skate. I don’t care. Just move for your mind.”

Across the world, ASICS is encouraging its office-based employees to move for their mental health by taking regular movement breaks.

“At ASICS, we champion the power of movement, not just on the body, but also on the mind,” says Tomoko Koda, managing executive officer for ASICS. “Our global study revealed that the hours spent at your desk for hours on end are having a real and scary impact on our minds. That’s why we wanted to deliver a powerful message from the world’s scariest boss to inspire people to move their minds. We hope to encourage office workers around the world to move and feel the mental benefits.”