> If being fit promotes long life, you might expect being an elite athlete to help you reach a ripe old age. It doesn’t. Olympians buy themselves an extra 2.8 years on average, according to a 2012 study.<p>I don't think is a good comparison point to make for general fitness. Olympic athletes push their bodies to the extreme, putting insane stress on their whole system. I wouldn't be surprised to find that that level of churn on the body actually reduces life expectancy from a certain point forward. What ever benefits they gain from steady medical attention, good diet etc would be offset by the insane strain.