In 2024, Lithuania’s Defence Ministry (KAM) reported that around 40% of young men called up for military service were deemed unfit to serve due to health reasons. However, even among those considered fit only 19% pass the initial fitness test at the start of their service. What lies at the root of this issue?
Colonel Arturas Jasinskas, head of the Lithuanian Army Sports Club, states that only around 19% of conscripts in the mandatory initial military service (NPPKT) achieve at least the minimum passing score of 60% on the first physical fitness test.
“The situation is poor. I would highlight the word ‘poor’ in red with an exclamation mark. Recently, we visited a battalion where only 5% of NPPKT soldiers managed to pass the first fitness test at the minimum threshold,” Jasinskas said.
The test consists of simple exercises: push-ups, sit-ups (measured over two minutes), and a timed 3-kilometre run.
Is this test an adequate measure of physical fitness?
“For starters, yes. These exercises are carried out both in our armed forces and in others. They are necessary. Some countries adjust the exercises slightly to better assess fitness levels. But if any changes were to be made, they would only apply during service, to help determine whether improvement is needed. However, for a young person just entering the military, the current exercises are more than sufficient to assess physical condition,” said the colonel.
What does passing the test require?
The threshold differs by age and gender. The average age of volunteers in Lithuania’s army is 20, while conscripts called up or listed average 21–22 years old.
For men aged 21–22, achieving 60% requires about 41 push-ups and running 3 km in roughly 15 minutes and 30 seconds.
Women must do around 18 push-ups and complete the run in about 18 minutes and 30 seconds.
Sit-up requirements are the same for both genders – around 52 in two minutes.
In summary, about 72% of healthy young men aged 21–22, fit to serve, do not meet the minimum fitness standard.
Where does the problem come from?
“We need to address the overall physical condition of young people. From the Education Ministry (ŠMSM) to schools, everyone’s talking about it – and it all comes down to low physical activity,” said Jasinskas. “Lessons in school and parental attitudes play a role. Then there’s the so-called ‘democratic’ physical education system, where if a student says they can’t do something, they’re simply exempted. I’ve seen the studies on PE attendance. Naturally, parents and teachers don’t want to push the child too hard. Another thing skewing the numbers is that the physically fit, athletic young people – those with higher sporting achievements – are often granted deferments and aren’t being called up.”
Nevertheless, the Lithuanian Armed Forces can significantly improve each conscript’s individual physical fitness level throughout mandatory initial military service.
Data shows that after the initial three-month basic training, 51% of conscripts pass the test with at least 60%. By the end of their nine-month service, 80% meet the threshold.
Structured routines, nutrition, consistent physical training, and specialised programmes provided by the army ensure this.
“When you enter the military, you become part of a unit, a platoon, and that’s when systematic and specialised physical training begins. Whether you want to or not, you start working out. That’s one factor. Another is the group dynamic – you’re doing things together. Everyone pushes, motivates each other. Recruits are also differentiated based on their fitness test results. Those who perform better face higher expectations, while others have adjusted targets – it can be tailored. I’m not saying that the physical training sessions in the military are fully individualised, but differentiation certainly exists based on each person’s fitness level,” Jasinskas explained.
Jasinskas believes the army should focus more on military skills rather than prolonged physical training, suggesting fitness should be improved earlier – in schools.
KAM echoed this sentiment, stressing that all recruits undergo medical screening and are deemed fit to train and improve physically. They added that physical fitness is a key element of military readiness, and the army provides the necessary conditions, discipline, and professional training – factors that contribute to the recruits’ ability to significantly enhance their physical performance.
It is therefore clear that if the Lithuanian Armed Forces aim to grow stronger and do so as efficiently as possible, the conscription reform must not be overlooked.
New conscription reforms starting in 2026 will draft 18-year-olds immediately after school until they turn 22. At 17, youths will undergo health checks to assess fitness for service, with possible deferrals for university students.
Lowering the average age of conscripts increases the importance of physical education in schools.
According to Jasinskas, this calls for cooperation between KAM and ŠMSM to ensure that physical education is better in schools.
“A recent agreement between these institutions and the volunteers from the Riflemen's Union promotes fitness testing and physical activity in schools, encouraging students to monitor their fitness. There are also initiatives like extended PE modules focusing on national defence and physical training. There could be other informal ways as well – for example, each military unit could select a nearby school and establish a prize for the most athletic class to encourage more sports participation,” Jasinskas said.
Jasinskas is sure that youth fitness and preparedness are strategic priorities given regional security:
“The issue is recognised at the highest strategic levels. It’s about youth activity and the health of Lithuania’s population.”
The KAM also supports this view, acknowledging the need for increased physical activity as a national goal amid security challenges.
While ŠMSM collects data on students’ physical fitness, the exercises selected to determine students' physical condition differ significantly from those required by the military.
Furthermore, physical fitness is not graded with marks but categorised into three zones: green (healthy physical fitness zone), yellow (improvement zone), and red (health risk zone).
According to ŠMSM, in 2023–2024, 61.03% of students reached the green zone, 32.24% were in the yellow zone, and 6.73% fell into the red zone.
While 10.9% of 15–17-year-olds (the target recruit group following the draft reform) report no physical activity in the past year, 17.2% exercise regularly (5+ hours per week).
Thus, although these figures do not reflect the physical fitness test results in the military, issues related to physical activity and preparedness remain.
ŠMSM claims that the promotion of physical activity remains a government priority, with funding for sports and national programmes targeting children and youth.
However, the ministry emphasises that responsibility for young people’s physical readiness does not lie solely with schools but with the entire system.
“Also important in this process are the contributions of parents, families, and communities, as well as attitudes toward physical activity. Equally crucial are opportunities to be physically active in one’s living environment – both the availability of activities and the ability to access sports infrastructure,” ŠMSM said.
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