Trump signs order to revive presidential fitness test in presence of Triple H - What is the program and why Obama discontinued it?

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday (July 31) to reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test, a Cold War-era practice that former President Barack Obama abandoned in 2012. This executive order will ensure that schools in the US mandate children to run, do situps/pullups, and perform flexibility tests. Trump said it will create "a culture of strength" for America’s youth. The test replaces Obama’s "Let’s Move" program, which focused on personal health goals instead of athletic scores. WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque arrived at the White House for the announcement. Along with the former wrestler, Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker, US Vice President JD Vance, and US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. were among those present.

“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. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau; and others who have attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender. “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.”

How this fitness program began?

According to a 1955 Sports Illustrated article, when Dr Hans Kraus presented the result of the Kraus-Weber test for muscular fitness, it was revealed that European students performed better than their American counterparts. Then, President Dwight D Eisenhower declared the problem “a serious one”. In 1956 he created the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. The fitness council formalised the Presidential Physical Fitness Award Program under former President Lyndon B. Johnson, who created a system whereby students performing at the top 15 per cent receive an award from the president. The program has been through several shifts over the years, but according to Harvard Health Publishing, five core items have remained: a 1-mile run; pullups or pushups; situps; shuttle run; and the sit-and-reach.

Why Obama replaced the fitness test?

After the 2012-2013 school year, the Obama administration retired the presidential fitness test, arguing that an annual competition does not inspire healthy lifestyle choices. Obama replaced the test with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which “moved away from recognising athletic performance to providing a barometer on students’ health,” according to the program’s website. The shift away from the fitness test also came amid a heightened focus on mental health concerns