The data highlights that through the simple act of moving with others, individuals can feel more connected to their communities, become rooted in purpose, and improve overall wellbeing. Anchored on thisfinding,
lululemon launches its ‘Together we grow’ campaign in support of World Mental Health Day – featuring a curation of inspiring stories from ambassadors, collective activations, and a community challenge with the goal of reaching “1 million minutes of movement.” Through the challenge, the brand will unlock complimentary movement classes through its collaborators and community partners. ‘Together we grow’ taps lululemon’s ambassador collective, including actor Park Seo Jun, CrossFit athlete Amotti, and founder of KAAIAA holistic-wellness program, Leah Simmons, to help inspire and support men and younger generations who have proved to struggle the most with wellbeing burnout.
"We are pleased to share new insights into the state of wellbeing around the world,” said Calvin McDonald, CEO, lululemon. “By sharing these insights, we hope to stimulate conversations and encourage people to reflect on how to support their wellbeing. The data shows us that moving with others and feeling a sense of community can positively impact how a person feels, and we look forward to bringing our guests and communities around the world together throughout the year to do just that.”
Despite this continued prioritization of wellbeing, the Wellbeing Index Scores, measured across physical, mental and social dimensions, have remained stagnant globally and regionally over the past four years; underscoring a need for a change in the approach to improving wellbeing. The data highlights the top pressure points fueling the wellbeing cycle:
- 62% of those surveyed say they experience overwhelming societal expectations to appear well. • 54% say there is a lot of conflicting information about the best ways to improve wellbeing. • 90% of those experiencing wellbeing burnout say loneliness is a contributing factor.
Who’s Feeling the Most Burnt Out in Malaysia?
While people across the globe are straining under the pressure to be well, certain markets and groups in APAC are experiencing the most wellbeing burnout with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand ranking among the top “wellbeing burn zones” with the highest levels of wellbeing burnout in the region.
Men are feeling the effects of wellbeing burnout on a greater scale than women, with 43% of men in the region reporting heightened feelings of loneliness (vs. 38% of women). In Malaysia there is a widespread of burnout and loneliness especially among Gen Z, impacting their wellbeing and quality of life. The impact of burnout within Gen Z is having a tremendous influence on their life trajectory (80%), causing difficulty in finding joy in their lives (67%) and even making them feel powerless in improving their wellbeing (67%). These situations are further compounded by loneliness with even 51% of Gen Z saying that they are feeling lonelier than ever before.
Younger generations feel this pressure more acutely than older generations, with 76% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials reporting they feel pressure to be well (vs. 58% of Gen X and 45% of Boomer+).
How Are People Coping with These Wellbeing Challenges?
While the data highlights the wellbeing pressures, an intersection of community and movement can help break the cycle and improve wellbeing. Through the simple act of moving with others, individuals can feel more connected to their communities, become rooted in purpose and improve overall wellbeing by 16%.
The research highlights the various tactics employed by different demographics to reduce wellbeing pressure and help them break free of the perpetual wellbeing dilemma.
In Malaysia, people are embracing community-based movement in a big way in improving their wellbeing while communicating with others:
- 68% are using physical activity as an opportunity to socialize; contributing to a 36% increase in their wellbeing
- 67% say working out is one of their favorite ways to spend quality time with friends • 60% are interested in joining group workouts to meet like-minded people; strengthening the position of studio-based and non-studio-based activities
- 59% say social/team sports have a better impact on their wellbeing
Men in APAC are utilizing movement to support their mental wellbeing and stay connected with their communities. In their struggle of facing societal pressures and dealing with their emotions (that hinders them from improving their wellbeing), Malaysian men are actively shifting their wellbeing priority to the top:
- 84% are prioritizing their physical wellbeing
- 83% are moving their bodies for their mental wellbeing
- 71% are of men say working out is one of their favorite ways to spend quality time with friends, increasing their mental wellbeing by 28%
As a brand rooted in community and movement, lululemon announced a $3.1M USD commitment to United for Global Mental Health, The Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health led by UNICEF2 and UNICEF’s Global Mental Health Fund, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to continue their work in advancing mental health across the globe, with a sharpened focus on the intersection of movement and mental health.
“Despite the societal pressures that people are feeling, it is heartening to see more people taking action to improve their wellbeing,” said Gareth Pope, Senior Vice President, lululemon, Asia Pacific. "Given the importance of physical movement and community, as highlighted in the latest Global Wellbeing Report, the ‘Together we grow’ campaign is rooted in encouraging everyone to move and connect with each other. Drawing on lululemon’s commitment to uplifting the wellbeing of all, we are dedicated to creating more opportunities for guests to make positive strides in their journeys.”
Together we grow : Malaysia moves as a community for our collective wellbeing The ‘Together we grow’ campaign culminates in Malaysia with a special two-day event in October 12-13. It is an invitation for all to embrace moving together as well as in honour of World Mental Health Day. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, a non-profit organisation which help to reduce suicide rate through 24-hour telephone helpline and email correspondence.
Participants can look forward to Run, Train, Yoga and other fitness sessions like Interactive Mat Pilates with Jian Pilates, Release, Surrender, Restore Yoga headed by Vanessa Tevi, Aloha Steps with Katrina Taib and Move and Pound with the Beat with Hanis Nor.
In addition to the fitness sessions, special spaces have been created to enhance the experience, offering both physical and mental connections :
- Connect & Grow: Engage in panel discussions and workshops like the Men’s Panel Discussion led by Hansen Lee and Vanessa Tevi as well as Mindful Living with Tea Meditation by Savy Ho.
- Aura Discovery: Explore the connection between one’s aura and wellbeing through insightful readings.
- Mindful Meadow: Delve into mindfulness practice with guided meditation sessions conducted by Savy Ho.
- Refuel and Recharge: Enjoy a selection of food and beverages to keep you energized throughout the event.
Tickets will go on sale from September 28. For more details and sign up for the sessions, visit the event website: lululemontogetherwegrow.com
To view the lululemon 2024 Global Wellbeing Report, please visit:
https://corporate.lululemon.com/~/media/Files/L/Lululemon/our-impact/lululemon-2024-global wellbeing-report.pdf.
To find out more about lululemon’s new ‘Together we grow’ campaign and sign up for the ‘Together we grow’ Challenge, please visit: https://www.lululemon.com.hk/en-my/c/community/together-we grow
1 lululemon launched its annual Global Wellbeing Report in 2021 to help guide its ongoing work in support of its brand purpose and achieving the Be Well goals outlined in its Impact Agenda. The 15-market study benchmarks the state of wellbeing globally and explores the drivers and barriers to being well mentally, physically, and socially. Research was fielded April 22, 2024, to May 30, 2024, and included 16,000 general population adults globally (1,000 within each of the following 15 markets: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong S.A.R., Thailand and Japan; and 2,000 within China Mainland).
2 UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
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