Donald Trump will reintroduce the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools through a new executive order signed Thursday, a White House official confirmed. The initiative revives a decades-old program last used in the 2012–2013 school year.
Originally launched by President Eisenhower in 1956, the test included a one-mile run, pull-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, and flexibility drills. It aimed to measure cardiovascular endurance, strength, and agility. Children scoring in the top 15% earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.
President Obama replaced the program with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, shifting focus from competition to overall student wellness. Trump’s order now reinstates performance-based testing and reestablishes the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, now overseen by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
The council will design school-based fitness award programs and create updated physical benchmarks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the goal is to foster a “culture of strength and excellence” and support future generations in living active, healthy lives. The move aligns with the administration’s broader focus on youth athletics and traditional fitness standards.
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