President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and the Reestablishment of the Presidential Fitness Test
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Trump reestablishes sports and nutrition council, including Presidential Fitness Test
The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition will administer the test. Pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau will chair the council, which includes a cadre of athletic standouts. The test was a staple in public schools from the 1960s through the 1990s. Trump also praised his order from earlier in his term to keep men out of women”s sports.“We need to re-instill that spirit of competition and that spirit and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness,’’ the golfer said, praising Trump for restoring it. “I’m so grateful to President Trump for your leadership and bring this back for our country,” he said, referring to the fitness test and the president s legacy.‘We’re officially restoring the Presidential Fitness Test and the Presidential fitness Award…This was a wonderful tradition, and we”re bringing it back, Trump said.
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An emphasis on sports and fitness will return to public schools – and possibly some private schools – after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that will lead to a revival of the Presidential Fitness Test.
Surrounded by pro-athletes including Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker, former NFL star Lawrence Taylor and Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam, Trump signed an order reestablishing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, which will administer the test under the supervision of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The order “directs the Council to develop strategies to approve America’s physical fitness and renew the American spirit excellence, competitiveness and sportsmanship,” Trump said. “We’re officially restoring the Presidential Fitness Test and the Presidential Fitness Award…This was a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back.”
Pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau will chair the council, which includes a cadre of athletic standouts and officials ranging from Saquon Barkley to former Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera, golfer Jack Nicklaus and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Cleaning up NIL
Trump, an avid sports fan who is friends with many of the athletes he appointed to the council, lamented the shift in college sports since the NCAA began to allow athletes to receive compensation through name, image and likeness deals. He said the council would help college sports clean up the “mess.”
“These people behind me are going to be very much involved in figuring that whole thing out and working on it, and trying to bring some sanity to that,” Trump said. It’s “very bad what’s happening, because now all of a sudden, there’s no women that are able to get the money that they’re talking about. It seems to be going mostly to football, some basketball and women’s sports are being totally decimated.”
Trump also praised his order from earlier in his term to keep men out of women’s sports. Polls show it was supported by about 80% of Americans, but Trump said it was “not 80%-20% (but) 97%-3%, (or) 98%-2%.”
DeChambeau called the council an opportunity “to change the fabric of our communities and kids’ livelihoods for the future generations that are to come.”
Kennedy’s legacy
RFK Jr., whose uncle promoted the test during his presidency, praised Trump for restoring it.
“We need to re-instill that spirit of competition and that spirit and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness, and I’m so grateful to President Trump for your leadership and bring this back for our country,” he said.
The test was a staple in public schools from the 1960s through the 1990s, gradually waning until it was changed to the Youth Fitness Program in 2012 under the Obama administration, a voluntary effort focused more on individual health than athletic feats, the Associated Press reported.
The presidential test included having students run and measure how many sit-ups, pull ups or pushups they could do, as well as a sit-and-reach test.
Trump “wants to ensure America’s future generations are strong, healthy, and successful,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, including that they “have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles – creating a culture of strength and excellence for years to come.”
The order is part of Trump and Kennedy’s mission to Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, including cleaning up the food supply and reducing obesity in adults and children.
The reestablishment of the fitness test applies to public schools, but some private schools may also chose to participate, meaning it could produce an overall fitness revival among young people.
Triple H entertains White House with signature spit move as he hails Donald Trump’s Fitness Test revival: WATCH
Several athletes and prominent figures appeared at the White House for Donald Trump’s fitness campaign. WWE star Triple H joined Donald Trump on his mission to “Make America Fit Again.
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Triple H joins Donald Trump’s mission to “Make America Fit Again”
Donald Trump and Triple H. Image via: White House/ X
Several athletes and prominent figures appeared at the White House for Donald Trump’s fitness campaign
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Trump revives Presidential Fitness Test, rite of passage for schoolchi…
President Donald Trump reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children. The fitness test began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. It gauged young people’s health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. It’s the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. The announcement also came as Trump readies the U.S. to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics.. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for.
“This is a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.
An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau; and others who’ve attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender.
It’s the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. He played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches.
“I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports,” Trump said. “When you are really focused on sports, you’ve thought about nothing else. To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf. You get away for a couple of hours.”
The announcement also came as Trump readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for.
Trump on Thursday said the council — known formally as the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition — will also deal with various issues on college athletics, such as the transfer portal that has more easily allowed athletes to switch from school to school. The council, which will have up to 30 members, will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award. The fitness test will be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In the test, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program changed in 2012. It evolved into the Youth Fitness Program, which the government said “moved away from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student’s health.” Then-first lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let’s Move” initiative focused on reducing childhood obesity through diet and exercise.
The Youth Fitness Test, according to a Health and Human Services Department website last updated in 2023 but still online Thursday, “minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health.”
Among those who joined Trump on Thursday, in addition to DeChambeau and Taylor, were Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker; Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam; and WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the son-in-law of Trump’s education secretary, Linda McMahon.
Trump to reestablish Presidential Fitness Test in public schools
An executive order was signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday to reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools. The program, created in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, requires children to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test. In 2012, the Obama administration took away the test to focus more on individual health than athletic feats.
The program, created in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, requires children to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test.
In 2012, the Obama administration took away the test to focus more on individual health than athletic feats and introduced the (PYFP).
The government said the program aimed to “move away from recognizing athletic performance to provide a barometer on students’ health.”
The president “wants to ensure America’s future generations are strong, healthy, and successful,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a , and that all young Americans “have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles — creating a culture of strength and excellence for years to come.”
The order will reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, as well as the fitness test, to be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The council will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award.
The ceremony will take place at the White House in the Roosevelt Room and feature golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
DeChambeau will reportedly be named chairman of the council.
Butker received criticism last year after a where he said most women were probably more excited to get married and have children than receive a degree. He also called Pride Month a “deadly sin” and said some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.”
Taylor, who has appeared on stage with Trump at campaign rallies, pleaded guilty in New York in 2011 to misdemeanor criminal charges of sexual misconduct.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
HFA Pledges Industry Support for White…
President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order reestablishing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. 60% of young Americans fail to meet weight eligibility and physical preparation standards for participating in basic training. 90% of the nation’s $4.9 trillion in annual healthcare spending goes toward treating people with chronic diseases and mental health conditions. Only one in six high school students (16.0%) meet the national physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises during leisure time. Among adults, 75% do not meet recommended physical activity Guidelines.
The Executive Order reflects a renewed federal focus on combating physical inactivity and obesity by elevating the importance of structured physical education and measurable fitness standards for youth.
Liz Clark, president and CEO of the Health & Fitness Association, stated:
“Physical inactivity is taking a toll on every aspect of our nation—from rising rates of anxiety and depression to record levels of obesity and even weakened military readiness. Today, an estimated 60% of young Americans fail to meet weight eligibility and physical preparation standards for participating in basic training, largely due to obesity, inactivity, and other preventable health issues.
“We commend the administration for restoring national leadership on youth fitness. The reestablishment of the President’s Council and Fitness Test affirms that physical activity is a public health priority. Instilling lifelong habits of movement in our youth is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve the nation’s well-being.”
A National Crisis in Physical Inactivity and Chronic Disease
The need for urgent federal leadership is underscored by the country’s declining physical health:
Only one in six high school students (16.0%) meet the national physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises during leisure time.
Among adults, 75% do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.
Nearly 90% of the nation’s $4.9 trillion in annual healthcare spending goes toward treating people with chronic diseases and mental health conditions, with physical inactivity identified as a major contributing risk factor.
Rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and anxiety among children and teens have continued to climb, exacerbated by sedentary behaviors and reduced access to physical education in schools.
Mike Goscinski, vice president of government affairs for the Health & Fitness Association, added:
“The return of the President’s Council and Fitness Test comes at a pivotal time. Our national network of fitness facilities and professionals is uniquely positioned to support this mission by offering access, infrastructure, and proven expertise in youth engagement. We stand ready to partner with the Council to bring these goals to life in communities across the country.”
Mobilizing the Fitness Industry to Support PCSFN
As the leading voice for the health and fitness industry, the Health & Fitness Association is equipped to assist the President’s Council through: