The body is the focal point of our lives. So making our lives better also means helping it to become better. For us, the Japanese philosophy of “kaizen” or “continuous improvement” not only inspires the way we design but also the way we can live.

 Because physical activity is essential to health, we make clothes to help you move. To achieve this we work closely with some of the world’s top athletes, like pro tennis players Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic, pro golfer Adam Scott and adventurer Marin Minamiya. We use their invaluable experience and feedback to look for new solutions in sport performance, adapting textile engineering and material science to help them move better, run better, swing better and explore better.

 These very same innovations can help you, too. To what extent depends on who you are and who it is you want to be. It’s about setting your own goals and measuring success and failure on your own terms. Whether you’re a worldclass athlete, a fitness enthusiast or someone who is simply trying to discover who they are, we’re all just making our way through life, trying to find our personal best.

Designed with the help of pro athletes, DRY-EX uses a 3-D knit structure that sucks moisture off the skin and moves it to the surface. It offers a long-lasting smooth, dry comfort even during the most intense physical activity.

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DRY-EX Crew Neck T-Shirt

DRY Compression Tights

Pro Athlete and Tennis Fanatic

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DRY-EX Knee Length Pants

It takes a certain amount of grit to get to the top of any sport and Japanese tennis sensation Kei Nishikori has it in spades. Now fully ensconced at the top of the game, 27-year-old Kei got there with a singleminded, almost obsessive determination that’s been on display since he moved from Japan at age 14 to train at the IMG Academy in Florida. We talked with the tennis prodigy in between off-season drills to discuss life on and off the court.

 I came to UNIQLO when they first started making sports clothes, so we have a very strong relationship. We talk a few times a year about the colors, styles and the materials we’re using. Staying cool and moving well are important to me so we spend a lot of time making sure that the clothes are really comfortable for me to play in.

 Not at all, I think that my clothing is one of my weapons. How I feel in the clothes really matters. They have to fit, be smooth, and function perfectly. I don’t want to have to think about whether my shirt is too big or sweaty or anything else when I’m on the court.

 It’s a very good thing for a tennis player! I set new goals for myself every year. I have a big goal in mind right now and know that I have to make minor adjustments in order to achieve it.

To win a Grand Slam and be number one. If I can achieve that then maybe I’ll set different goals but for now it’s my focus.

 It was definitely a challenge for me because I moved by myself and for a couple of years I really couldn’t speak any English at all. But, in 2009 I was injured and had elbow surgery and basically couldn’t play competitively for a year. I wasn’t even sure if I would ever get back on the court after. Looking back, not knowing if I would ever play again was probably the hardest.

 So much stuff. First of all, you have to take care of your body. But you also have to think about tennis 24/7 if you want to be great at it. You might take off a day every now and then but you have to be constantly focused on how to keep improving. It’s a game of inches, sometimes less, and you can only get better by changing small things,— including working on the mental aspects and even on the clothing. It’s all part of it.

 You only live once so I try to enjoy myself, even when I’m playing a match. I’m doing this for me, after all. This is the life I’ve chosen—and I’m lucky that my job is doing something I love and lets me travel the world and meet lots of interesting people.

 I try to stay calm and not panic on the court and I think it’s important to do that in life. You don’t ever want to get too stressed.

 I think it’s important to be a little tough on yourself, but I have also worked a lot on believing in myself.

Broadcaster and Fitness Enthusiast

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DRY-EX Tank Top

For Lauren Ellis Young, fitness brings order to her often busy, roving life. Originally from Minnesota but now living in Chicago, Lauren is a basketball analyst and broadcaster for Big Ten Network—a job that at times has her on the road up to two or three weeks a month. The 27-year-old is also a card-carrying jock who says she’ll take her fitness wherever she can get it.

 I have watched my grandparents struggle with diabetes, so for me fitness is laying the groundwork to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. I am also vegan and very cognizant of what I put into and on my body.

 When I was done with college, I was done with sports. When I did get back into working out, I did a lot of running and yoga but I liked to mix it up with some Pilates or boxing. Right now, whatever makes me move gets me excited. I just got a new puppy [a Dalmatian called Olipop] so it can be as simple as going to the park and running around with her.

 I have a very creative mind and as an athlete I always thought about sports in a more cerebral way. When I played basketball, for example, I liked to know everything I could about an opponent. You can observe their tendencies, how they respond to calls, and then you can either get in their head or play off it better.

 Definitely. I have a holistic approach and am a people-watcher in life. But the person I probably watch the most is myself. When I have not paid attention to my body in the past I have had some health issues. There’s a lot of stuff going on in society, and you need to be awake and aware. Appreciating your loved ones and the people in your life is the only way to deal with what comes your way.

 I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is a predominantly white society, and I am biracial. My mom is white, my dad is black so there were a lot of conversations that I had as a kid. My parents taught me how to be strong as an individual and started me on this path of knowing and accepting myself, that I could be whoever I wanted to be.

 I think my biggest motivator is probably my little sister, who is three years younger. As an older sibling you always want to do better so they have someone to look up to. You want to be the best version of yourself.

We use a special fabric treatment to offer UV protection. It blocks 90% of UV rays and minimizes the chance of sunburns and skin damage.

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DRY-EX Tank Top

We’ve adapted AIRism fibers for an active life. It’s designed to keep you light and refreshed, even in sweaty situations.

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Yoga T-Shirt

Student and Yoga Devotee

She’s studying at New York University, working on a double major in communications and film production. She’s also a certified yoga instructor. Hannah Alexander is navigating the minefield of youth one breath at a time. For her, fitness is a means to achieving balance, both physically and emotionally. We caught up with the 20-year-old just before she flew out to spend a semester living and studying in Sydney, Australia.

 When I went to college, sports went from being my favorite thing to something that was really hard to incorporate into my new life in the city. In my freshman year one of my best friends took me to a yoga class, my first ever, and I absolutely hated it. But I eventually went back to it when school started to get very stressful and I needed a release. Now I honestly can’t get through a day without getting on my mat, even if it’s for a few minutes.

 I had an interesting past. I started modeling when I was a teenager and the pressure that modeling places on you, the constant competition and rejection, was too much for me and I got sick. Yoga 100% made me realize that I need to value and appreciate my body. It’s amazing what our bodies do for us every day. We are so strong and there’s just no point wasting your time worrying about what you look like because in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you are happy and healthy, and yoga reminds me of that on a daily basis.

 Absolutely. It’s no walk in the park being a young person. There are so many expectations and anxieties that we have to work through, and yoga is the perfect, healthy release. Anything that can bring you back and anchor you is a good thing. Obviously I worry about what will happen after college. I’m a year away from graduating and I am not sure exactly what I want to do so it’s the fear of the unknown. But sometimes you just have to remind yourself that you’re young, that your life is fine, and to just breathe.

 I would say not wanting to please others too much and trying not to take judgments to heart are things that I can always keep an eye on.

 I definitely want to be financially independent and able to do the things that I am passionate about, and to be surrounded by friends. I guess balance is one of the most important goals I have in life.

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Yoga T-Shirt