Your physical fitness may start declining at 35: Study

Technology Jan 20, 2026

A Swedish study found that physical strength and fitness start dipping around age 35, with performance peaking just before then and dropping by up to 48% by your early 60s.
Researchers tracked the same 427 adults for nearly five decades to get these results.

Staying active really helps

Unlike quick snapshot studies, this one followed people for years and found that those who became more active as adults boosted their fitness by 5-10%.
So even if you haven't been super sporty, getting moving now can still make a real difference.

It's never too late to start

Lead author Maria Westerstahl put it simply: "It is never too late to start moving."
The team will keep following participants into their late sixties to see how exercise keeps helping over time.