Presidential fitness test to return via Trump executive order

On July 31, 2025, Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, reviving a program discontinued in 2012 under Obama. Originally launched in 1956 by Eisenhower, the test includes a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, and sit-and-reach, per Harvard Health. The order expands the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to develop school programs and award criteria.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will oversee implementation, targeting childhood obesity and inactivity. “President Trump wants every young American to have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The signing, attended by athletes like Harrison Butker and Lawrence Taylor, aligns with Trump’s sports focus, including a transgender athlete ban and hosting the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup, and 2028 Olympics. Specific test components under Trump remain undisclosed.