On Thursday, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test, a program originally discontinued in 2012 under President Barack Obama. The move aligns with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, aimed at encouraging healthier lifestyles among America’s youth.
“This is an important step in making America healthy again,” Trump said during a press conference. “This council has long been about the strength and vitality of our people, and we’re proud to continue that legacy.”
Trump was joined at the signing event by prominent athletes, including NFL kicker Harrison Butker, golfer Bryson DeChambeau, football legend Lawrence Taylor, and wrestler Triple H. Reflecting on his own athletic interests, Trump remarked, “I’ve always loved sports. It helps you focus and gives you a break from everything else.”
The reinstated fitness test will once again require public schools to evaluate students’ physical capabilities through exercises like a mile run, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and flexibility tests.
The origins of the fitness initiative date back to 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness in response to alarming data showing American children lagging behind their European peers in basic fitness levels. The concern was sparked by a 1953 study by Dr. Hans Kraus and Dr. Sonja Weber, which found that 58% of American children failed a basic physical test compared to just 9% of European children.
In the years following, President John F. Kennedy renamed the initiative the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and made youth health a national priority. It wasn’t until 1966, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, that the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Program was introduced to recognize top-performing students.
Robert Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary and nephew of JFK, praised the move: “My uncle made fitness a central issue of his administration, and I’m grateful to President Trump for reviving that mission. We need to bring back the spirit of competition and commitment to health.”
Obama’s 2012 shift away from the original test aimed to emphasize overall health and individual fitness goals rather than athletic performance. The updated version, known as the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, focused on supporting students’ long-term wellness without encouraging comparisons.
Historically, the original test was administered mainly to students between ages 10 and 17 in middle and high schools, though some elementary and private schools also participated.
Source: OAN
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