Teenage boys today are physically weaker, less mobile and less aerobically fit than they were a generation ago. Additionally, they are sleeping less and continue to not eat breakfast. This isn’t good news from the CDC and definitely isn’t good news for parents of teenage boys.

In my own experience, I’ve noticed that many of the teenage boys I initially meet to train as their strength coach lack basic general fitness; their grip strength gives out quick, their core cannot stabilize a simple plank, they don’t have the ability to get into a basic hip hinge, and they lack the aerobic capacity to sustain effort. This isn’t a lack of trying by parents or laziness from the boy, despite what old-school coaches will tell you. These are teenage boys growing up in an environment in which this is a consequence of many contributing systemic and environmental factors, most of which are out of a family’s control. I work specifically with teenage boys and their families, and this data describes what I see every day. This research exists in federal reports published every few years, but unfortunately parents never hear about it.

In 1991, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a voluntary anonymous questionnaire administered every two years to a nationally representative sample of American high school students. It monitors dietary habits, physical activity, sleep, mental health, and other health-related behaviors. It is the longest running federal study of adolescent and teenage health in this country producing 35 years of continuous data. The most recent report, the Youth Health in Focus findings was published in September 2026. This report was a bit narrower in scope than other years, but did show some good news. There is evidence of meaningful progress in mental health with fewer students reporting persistent sadness and self-harm. However, it is worth keeping in mind, much of this progress represents a partial return toward pre-COVID levels, not a full recovery.

Pertaining to physical health, in 2025 only 16% of high school students met both the aerobic and muscle strengthening guidelines, that is down from 20% a decade ago. Among boys, 32% reported being active for 60+ minutes daily, 61% reported muscle strengthening three times a week, but only 22% met both standards combined. Daily physical education attendance has fallen from more than 2 in 5 students in 1991 to just 1 in 5 today. Only 26% of boys reported eight or more hours of sleep on a school night and 31% of boys ate breakfast.

The physical health numbers continue to get worse over time. Basic physical strength, movement skills, health & physical education, sleep, and nutrition are basic wellness indicators. Research consistently links these factors to long-term improved mental health and improved well-being well into adulthood. The foundational habits of a teenage boy’s life are being formed right now in middle and high school classrooms, weight rooms, and kitchens and it’s worth diving deeper into the research.

Buried in this data is a contradiction that I initially missed when reading. Sports participation went up even as strength, daily movement, and sleep all declined. If more kids are playing on teams, why are teenage boys getting physically weaker? Why aren't organized sports improving their baseline fitness? That, and what I think is actually driving these numbers, is what the next broadcast is about.

Be well,

Coach Steve Kiely M.Ed, CSCS
​Founder, Wellness Lit Fitness
​@coachstevekiely