Can Being Fit in Your Teens Help You Live Longer?
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We’ve always been told that exercise is good for us. Schools, parents, and even doctors encourage young people to be active. But how much does being fit as a teenager actually affect your chances of living a long and healthy life?
A recent large study from Sweden tried to answer this question—and the results might surprise you.
What the Study Looked At
Researchers followed over 1 million young men in Sweden who took a fitness test at around age 18. These tests were part of their mandatory military conscription exams between 1972 and 1995.
The study tracked these men for decades, recording who died early and what the causes were—such as heart disease, cancer, or accidents. It also looked at things like their family background, education, and income.
The Good News: Fitter Teens Had Lower Risk of Early Death
At first glance, the findings were clear: teens who scored high on the fitness test were much less likely to die early. Compared to the least fit group, those in the top fitness group had:
- 53% lower risk of dying from any cause
- 31% lower risk of dying from cancer
- 58% lower risk of dying from heart disease
That sounds like strong proof that being fit early in life helps protect you later on. But the researchers wanted to dig deeper.
The Catch: Hidden Bias May Be Playing a Role
One clever thing about this study is that it also looked at deaths from accidents—like car crashes and drownings. These types of deaths aren’t usually caused by fitness. So if fit teens were also less likely to die in accidents, it might mean that something else is going on.
That’s exactly what the researchers found. The fitter teens were also about 53% less likely to die in accidents. This raised a red flag.
It suggests that the lower death rates might not be because of fitness alone. Instead, other factors like better family support, safer environments, or healthier lifestyles could be helping these young men live longer—regardless of how fit they were.
A Closer Look Using Sibling Comparisons
To understand this better, the researchers did something smart—they compared brothers in the same family. This helps cancel out shared factors like income, parenting style, or genetics.
Even then, the fitness advantage shrank. The more fit brothers still had lower death rates, but the difference was smaller. And again, the link with accidental deaths remained strong, which shouldn’t happen if fitness was the only thing that mattered.
What This Means for You
So, should we stop promoting fitness in teens? Not at all.
Even if fitness isn’t the only reason for longer life, it’s still part of the bigger picture. Exercise has many known benefits—like better mood, stronger muscles and bones, and lower risk of diseases like diabetes.
But this study reminds us that health is complex. Simply being fit doesn’t guarantee a longer life, and many social, economic, and personal factors also matter.
The Bottom Line
Being fit as a teenager is linked to lower risk of dying early—but this connection may not be as direct as we thought. Other factors like family background and lifestyle play a big role.
Still, encouraging teens to stay active is a good idea. But we also need to support their mental health, education, and living conditions if we really want to help them live longer and healthier lives.