The current United States President, Donald Trump, has signed an executive order bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test on July 31st, 2025. The test will be led by The Department of  Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr. However this test isn’t new at all. To understand when it all started, it began in the year 1956. Eleven years after World War II, President Dwight D. Eisenhower had signed an executive order introducing the fitness test. The purpose was to access physical fitness in six specific areas such as pull-ups/modified pull-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run, standing broad jump, and softball throwing for distance. Some may remember during elementary school from the early 2000s up to 2012, kids had to do this test in their physical education class. However, the test had been modified over the years since 1956. In the 1960s, whoever scored the highest fitness scores, were eligible to receive a Presidential Fitness Award. But this was discontinued in 2012 due to the 44th President, Barack Obama ending the program. The reason for its discontinuation was because the Obama administration believed that it was demoralizing and discouraged less athletic children by emphasizing competition. Obama then replaced the test with a program instead that was designated as less demoralizing. However, this came to an end as soon as Donald Trump signed the executive order earlier this year. 

With the revival of the Presidential Fitness Test, there are many debates as to whether the test is good or bad for students. Some people believe that it is a good thing, and others believe that it is demoralizing for their kids because it is shaming them for their lack of exercise or athletic abilities. Overall, the entire nation doesn’t have to abide by this executive order. It is up to the states to decide whether they want the test implemented or not.