(WDNews) President Donald Trump announced plans on Thursday to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test for American schoolchildren, reviving a program that has been in place for decades to encourage youth physical activity.
The fitness exam, which was first administered in 1966, required pupils to perform exercises like running, situps, pushups, pullups, and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. Under the Obama administration, the program was redesigned in 2012 with an emphasis on long-term health rather than athletic performance.
The president wants to make sure that America’s future generations are successful, healthy, and strong, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who also underlined the importance of fostering a culture of excellence and strength for years to come.
Trump signed an executive order restoring the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition during a White House ceremony Thursday afternoon. Additionally, the order restores the Presidential Fitness Test and assigns Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, to supervise its application. Additionally, the council will develop standards for a new Presidential Fitness Award.
The Obama-era Youth Fitness Program, which sought to promote individual health objectives rather than comparing students’ physical prowess, is still available on the Health and Human Services Department’s website.
Trump’s action is consistent with his continued emphasis on sports. Many of the president’s 2025 public appearances have been on sports, such as the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and UFC events. The president played baseball in high school and enjoys playing golf on the weekends.
The news was made on Thursday as the United States gets ready to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the 2025 Ryder Cup, three significant international sporting events.
Pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau, retired NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor, Swedish golf star Annika Sorenstam, WWE executive Paul Triple H Levesque, and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker were among the prominent sports people anticipated to attend the White House event.
In contrast to current trends that place more attention on individual health measurements, Trump’s drive for a revived emphasis on conventional athletic accomplishment in childhood education is reflected in the resurgence of the fitness test.
