Our friends give us encouragement and companionship. Now, we can also thank them for our health.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that people who make more friends at an early age are typically healthier at the beginning and end of their lives. The results showed that most adults live longer if they have solid social networks.

During the study, the team analyzed data from four surveys of the U.S. population that covered the time between adolescence to old age. They specifically looked at three parts of relationships: social integration, social support and social strain. The team compared this data with an individual’s blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index and circulating levels of C-reactive protein, which measures inflammation throughout the body. These four measures are key markers for mortality risk.

The results revealed that the size of a person’s social network is important for well-being in early and late adulthood. Researchers said this suggests that social isolation in childhood can be as risky for your health as being physically inactive. Teachers and parents should encourage social skills just as much as eating well and being fit. In old age, social isolation was shown to be as harmful as diabetes, according to the findings, which were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

During mid-adulthood, the number of social connections didn’t matter as much as what those connections provided emotionally. In other words, the quality — not quantity — of friendships matters most in middle age.

So, while you’re frantically scheduling gym sessions this year, don’t forget to also fit in some social time with friends and loved ones.