Movember and Life Fitness have joined forces to launch 'MindSets', a series of mental health exercises designed to be performed between sets at the gym. The initiative, developed by Dentsu Aotearoa, has been rolled out in over 100 gyms across New Zealand, marking a significant step towards integrating mental health into physical fitness regimes.

Developed in collaboration with clinical psychologist, Jacqui Maguire, the exercises, which can be completed in 1-2 minutes, include 'Oxytocin Lifts', 'Mood Raises', and 'Serotonin Lifts'. These exercises are illustrated as a simple set of instructions that complement the existing diagrams on Life Fitness equipment.

Major gym chains such as Flex Fitness, Les Mills, Anytime Fitness, and Snap! Fitness, as well as numerous council, university, and privately owned gyms, have installed the program. The program is also available online, with audio guides narrated by The Alternative Commentary Collective.

Movember Country Manager, Rob Dunne, said: “Showing up in people’s day-to-day life with useful mental health tools and messages is something we’re always looking to do.” This sentiment was echoed by Colin Walker, Life Fitness NZ Managing Director, who stated, “As our name suggests, Life Fitness aims to help people be healthy in all aspects of life. Mental health is a huge part of that, so MindSets is something we’re thrilled to support.”

Dentsu Chief Creative Officer, Brett Colliver, said: “Everyone who goes to a gym does it to stay healthy. But it’s easy to forget that our minds need to be kept as strong as our muscles. We think being able to look after both at the same time is something that people won’t just find useful, it will also get them thinking about their mental health in a new way.”

Movember's mission is to change the face of men's health, with a focus on mental health. Media partners Cartel Media, NZME, Mediaworks, Shout, and Jolt are supporting the initiative.