New Dutch army recruits are less physically fit when they start training than they were decades ago, retiring Dutch army boss Mart de Kruif says in an interview with the Volkskrant.

The army has now adapted its training schemes to cope with the changes, De Kruif told the paper.

‘It is true that youngsters today are less fit and less strong… than a few decades ago,’ he said. ‘When you don’t play outside and climb trees but sit behind a computer, it becomes more difficult to climb up a rope.’

In 1991, just 6% of marine corps recruits dropped out during training but that has now risen to 70%, the paper says.