August 5, 2025
This was a wonderful tradition and we’re bringing it back.
President Trump announcing an executive order to restore the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools after 12 years.
Why It Matters: According to the executive order, the program aims to address a national decline in health and fitness, citing rising “rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition.” According to the CDC, obesity affects about 20% of U.S. children ages 2-19. Details on when the test could roll out, and what it will include, remain TBD.
Background: Originally launched in 1958 under President Eisenhower, the Presidential Fitness Test evolved over time but typically included a mix of running, sit-ups, pull-ups and flexibility exercises.
Critics of the program expressed concerns over the potential for public shaming and embarrassment, prompting officials during the Obama administration to replace it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program to “emphasize personal fitness goals and minimize comparisons between children.”
Something To Consider: “In 2021, researchers with the University of California at Irvine published a literature review of studies of school-based fitness tests after California proposed suspending the practice, and found there was little evidence of an elevated risk of bullying from the tests. The overall environment of a school was likely a more important factor than the presence of a fitness test, the authors wrote.” (Washington Post)
Read the Executive Order HERE.
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by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
