How’s your social fitness these days? Yes, social fitness is a thing, and actually more important than your physical and mental fitness in terms of a long, happy life.

Social fitness is all about building and maintaining quality relationships, according to Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This 86-year-old study on health and well-being has followed more than 2,000 people through their adult lives.

The existence of quality relationships in individuals’ lives continues to be the study’s most reliable indicator for a good, happy, long life, explained Dr. Waldinger, who spoke at the Institute of Coaching Conference I attended this past May. And the opposite is true, too. The lack of quality relationships is a bigger predictor of early death than obesity and physical inactivity and is about on par with smoking and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, positive supporting relations can also help protect against chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and cognitive decline.

For many of us who work for a living, we’re able to make friends at work, which helps with our social fitness. Interestingly, the day after Forbes Coaches Council published my article on June 25, 2024, one of my coaching clients told me how much she treasures the connections she’s built with several of her co-workers. As she explained the relationships, she volunteered that she believes they will be life-long friends.  I congratulated her and her co-workers for their strong social fitness at work and being a walking testimonial for this topic!

For more about social fitness at work, including tips on how to find and nurture friendships there, check out How to build, keep and improve your social fitness at work