Overview of the Presidential Fitness Test

The Presidential Fitness Test was a US fitness assessment from the 1950s to 2013 involving a mile run, sit-ups and push-ups; reinstated in 2025.

what is the presidential fitness test

The Presidential Fitness Test was a national program in US public middle and high schools from the late 1950s until 2013; it assessed students’ performance in exercises including a one-mile run, sit-ups, push-ups or pull-ups, shuttle run, and sit-and-reach flexibility test [1][2]. High-performing students historically earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award for ranking in the top 15% nationwide [3]. In 2013, the program was replaced by the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, shifting focus to health-related fitness metrics over competition . On July 31, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test under the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition .