President Trump is signing an executive order today at 4 PM ET to bring back the Presidential Physical Fitness Test, which was originally launched in 1966 under Lyndon B. Johnson and worn by generations of middle and high school students until it was discontinued in 2012 under President Obama.
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The program began under Cold War pressure - after a 1950s study showed U.S. kids lagged far behind European youth in basic exercises like sit-ups, shuttle runs, pull-ups, and broad jumps.
President Eisenhower created the President’s Council on Youth Fitness in 1956, and by 1966 the national school test was formalized, awarding students in the top 85th percentile national recognition.
Over the decades, the test drew both praise and criticism - praised for pushing youth toward fitness, but criticized for promoting a cutthroat culture that humiliated students who didn’t measure up.
The Obama‑era Presidential Youth Fitness Program replaced it with a health-focused model that assessed individual wellness rather than ranking performance.
Trump’s executive order revives the old regime - tasking Health and Human Services with administering the fitness award and seeking out schools that reward excellence in PE.
The administration says the move responds to a “widespread epidemic of declining health and fitness” among American youth, although critics argue the focus should remain on inclusivity and lifelong wellness rather than elite performance.
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