Back-to-school season is nearing, and while your kids might be dreading homework and obeying their teachers' orders again, there's another surprise waiting in gym class. Trump is bringing back the presidential fitness test. The test, which measures endurance, strength, and flexibility, will return to U.S. public schools.
The presidential fitness test was originally administered from 1966 to 2013, when the Obama administration replaced it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. That shift aimed to move away from competition and toward a more 360 approach to student health.
But on Thursday, July 31, President Trump signed an executive order to revive the original gym benchmarks, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the new council tasked with reducing obesity and promoting fitness among schoolchildren.
Whether you're a student gearing up for this term's shuttle runs or a parent curious to test if you've still got it in you to pass the Presidential Fitness Test, having a good pair of shoes on your feet makes a difference. Go ahead and check out our roundup of the best running shoes to find the right pair for you or your kid.
What does the test involve?
So what’s actually coming back? According to the executive order, kids will once again be timed on a one-mile run and tested on their ability to perform sit-ups, shuttle runs, push-ups or pull-ups, and basic flexibility drills like the sit and reach.
These old school gym class challenges are designed to measure cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and overall mobility. While full details on scoring and age brackets haven’t been released yet, the test’s return also brings back the Presidential Fitness Award, which in the past recognized the top 15% of students nationwide and is set to be reinstated under the new program.
Why was it scrapped?
The Obama administration ended the original presidential fitness test in 2013 and replaced it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. This new approach focused on personal health, education, and tracking individual progress instead of awarding certificates only to the top performers. It aimed to make fitness more inclusive and achievable for all students, not just those excelling in traditional gym challenges.
Now, the original test is being brought back with mile runs, sit-ups, and performance-based awards. This marks a return to more traditional fitness challenges.
While I didn’t go to school in the US and can’t speak to the presidential fitness test itself, I do have my own memories from school sports days and the bleep test. For those who don’t know, the bleep test is an endurance challenge where you run back and forth between two points, keeping pace with a series of beeps that get faster until you can’t keep up anymore.
To be honest, I spent more time worrying about not tripping over my own feet in front of my classmates than actually trying to pass the test. Whether this return will motivate U.S. students or add extra pressure remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: gym class is going to feel a bit more old school.
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