Meet the 8 year old Lancashire boy who is one of the faces of a national campaign by ASICS

Henry, an 8-year-old boy from Blackpool, has become one of the world’s youngest exercise ambassadors after featuring in a new national campaign run by Asics.

Based on new research commissioned by ASICS, adults no longer enjoy exercise compared to when they were younger and are only moving for their appearance, rather than for joy. 

The aim of the campaign is to remind adults to exercise like they did when they were children. 

Henry has said he loves exercising because it gives him energy and says adults take exercise too seriously and only care about physical appearance. 

The Blackpool youngster is a part of a young exercise influencer team called ASICS 'Little Reminders' team who are on a mission to remind adults to exercise for how it makes them feel, not how it makes them look. 

‘Little Reminders’ have developed the first-ever exercise guide made by children for adults to remind older generations to move for enjoyment and not just performance. 

The ambassadors will also be taking over the channels of some of the biggest exercise influencers with their workout to help inspire more people to move for the mental uplift.

Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone.

Gary Raucher, spokesperson for ASICS, said: “Children aged five to seven are at their peak activity levels, and their primary motivation to exercise is to feel good. 

“Sadly, as we get older, the focus of exercise is all too often on physical gain and performance. 

“So instead of exercise being a way to release pressure and help people feel better, the exercise world often adds to the pressure. We want to change that.

“At ASICS we believe in the positive impact of movement on the body and on the mind..

“We hope that our new Little Reminder recruits can help remind us all of the real power of exercise and encourage us to move for our minds, not just our bodies.”

In the research commissioned by,  it revealed that 63% of adults admit the main reason they exercise is for physical gain, while 77% of children say the main reason they exercise is for fun.  

And it seems society’s obsession with exercising for the ‘perfect body’ is damaging our relationship with movement.

Sign up for our free newsletters now

77% of adults say they don’t look forward to exercising and see it as a chore, whereas 92% of children aged 6 to 11 say they enjoy exercise.

Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos said: “Though it is well documented that exercise can support our mental health, there still remains the misconception that for it to be effective, activity needs to be difficult, intense and sometimes painful. 

"The idea of returning to the mindset of our younger selves is a great way to conceptualise exercise, unlocking the full mental benefits of movement. 

“Children approach physical activity with a sense of uninhibited joy and curiosity, moving for the pleasure of it rather than for external validation. 

“Their focus is on what they can gain and not what they need to lose, and as a consequence physical activity becomes a joy, not a chore. 

“Embracing this mindset as adults could be the key to restructuring our relationship with exercise in a positive way and allow us to reignite our childhood love of moving for how it makes us feel.”