Society blamed for rise in army of unfit applicants

Twenty sit-ups in a minute. Twenty press-ups in a minute. Run a mile in 11 minutes — not too high a fitness bar, but beyond many hoping to join the army.

Couch-potato lifestyles, playing endless hours of Xbox and PlayStation, and doing the wrong gym exercises are being blamed for an increase in the number of potential recruits who are failing the army fitness tests.

Military sources say there has been a noticeable increase in recent years in the number of young people who aren’t able to pass physical tests, which are mandatory for entering the Defence Forces.