Could teenage fitness shape your mental health decades later? New research suggests it might

Exercise has long been linked to better mental health. But could how fit you are as a child or teenager predict your wellbeing years later? Teenagers with better aerobic fitness have a lower risk of developing depression later in life, according to a new study.Researchers in Australia analysed more than 1,000 people from a nationwide cohort originally surveyed in 1985 and followed for over three decades to track mental health outcomes through diagnostic interviews. Participants’ fitness was measured in childhood through physical tests including a 1.6-kilometre run to assess cardiorespiratory fitness and a standing long jump to assess muscular power. A smaller group also completed cycling and handgrip strength tests.