What’s the Presidential Fitness Test? Trump revies school physical test
US Supreme Court clears way for Trump to gut Education Department
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume dismantling the Department of Education, part of his bid to shrink the federal government’s role in education in favor of more control by the states.
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test on July 31.
- The program, which includes completing a series of physical challenges, was first introduced in 1956 by then President Dwight Eisenhower.
- The program aims to address what the White House calls a “crisis” of obesity and inactivity among children.
President Donald Trump is bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test.
Trump signed an executive order on July 31, expanding the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and reinstating the program that requires students to complete a range of physical challenges, including a one-mile run and either pull-ups or push-ups.
The program was first introduced in 1956 by then-President Dwight Eisenhower but was later replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program by former President Barack Obama.
In the order, the White House cited “crisis levels” of rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition among children, trends which “weaken” the economy, military readiness, academic performance, and national morale.
“MAKE AMERICA FIT AGAIN!” wrote White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.
Trump was joined by professional athletes, including golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, for the signing of the order.
Here’s what else to know.
What is the Presidential Fitness Test? Why does Trump want to bring it back?
Eisenhower launched the Presidential Physical Fitness Test in 1956.
According to Harvard Health, the test evolved over the years, but the version most people remember included five components: a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, a shuttle run, and the sit-and-reach.
The goal was to measure cardiovascular endurance, upper-body and core strength, flexibility, and agility.
According to the White House, the Presidential Physical Fitness Test is being reinstated as part of a broader effort to create a “national culture of strength, vitality, and excellence” among young people in the United States by promoting the “physical, mental, and civic benefits of exercise and good nutrition.”
What does Trump’s order say?
The executive order directs the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition to develop school-based programs that recognize excellence in physical education and establish criteria for a new Presidential Fitness Award.
The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to renew the Presidential Fitness Test.
The order also emphasizes creating opportunities for American youth at all levels — global, national, state, and local —that promote active lifestyles, good nutrition, American sports, and military readiness.
Additionally, it calls on the Council to collaborate with professional athletes, sports organizations, and other influential figures to support its mission.
When did the Presidential Fitness Test end?
The Obama administration replaced the Presidential Fitness Test with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program during the 2012- 2013 school year to shift the focus on physical fitness in schools away from student performance and toward students’ overall health as they grow into adulthood, USA TODAY reported.
“The program minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health,” reads a previous description of the program from the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
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