President Donald Trump has officially scrapped former First Lady Michelle Obama’s student health program and brought back the decades-old Presidential Fitness Test in U.S. schools. The move is part of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ push, which he announced on May 5, 2026, surrounded by school kids, pro athletes, and cabinet members in the Oval Office.
According to the NY Post, Trump called the revived test “a certificate in recognition of achievement of the gold standard of physical fitness,” and joked about his own workout routine – “like about one minute a day, max, if I’m lucky” – while signing the executive order that reinstates the program.
The original Presidential Physical Fitness Test was phased out in 2013 when Michelle Obama replaced it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, part of her “Let’s Move” initiative. That program shifted focus from performance-based standards to overall health and inclusivity.
Trump didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the change
The president sarcastically thanked “Barack” for scrapping the test before declaring, “We’re bringing it back. We’re bringing it back.” The revived test includes a one-mile run, a 60-second sit-up challenge, pull-ups or push-ups for as long as possible, and a flexibility test. Trump summed up his philosophy simply: “Physical fitness is everything.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tied the revival to his late uncle, President John F. Kennedy, who popularized the test in the 1960s after warning that Americans were becoming “soft.” RFK Jr. framed the test as a national security issue, pointing to alarming stats: 70% of U.S. adults are obese or overweight, and 77% of kids can’t qualify for military service.
“We need a vigorous population that is in good shape, spiritually, morally, physically, if we’re going to continue to exercise leadership around the world,” he said. Golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Gary Player, NFL cornerback Amani Oruwariye, and MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard were all on hand to show support, with DeChambeau calling physical fitness “a huge priority to helping [kids] become better human beings.”
After the signing, the group headed to the South Lawn, where kids took turns on pull-up bars and tried to score goals against DeChambeau. Trump joined in for a round of putting, missing all three of his shots before high-fiving the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents mascots and dancing to “YMCA.” The event wrapped up with a race between the kids and the mascots, with “Abraham Lincoln” taking the win.
Trump’s push for fitness comes despite his own well-documented disdain for exercise
In a January interview with The Wall Street Journal, he admitted he finds working out “boring” and prefers to avoid it. “To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me,” he said.
Instead, he credits his “very good genetics” for his health, though he’s faced scrutiny over his appearance, including patches of makeup on his hands and moments where he’s appeared to nod off during public events. When asked about those incidents, Trump blamed the media, saying they “take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”
He also revealed he takes a high dose of aspirin, 325mg daily, to thin his blood, far above the typical 75mg recommendation. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he explained, though he acknowledged the regimen causes easy bruising, which he covers with makeup.
Trump has consistently dismissed concerns about his age, insisting “nothing’s wrong” and that his health is “perfect.” At 79, he’s already the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, and if he finishes his second term, he’ll be 82. Still, he’s quick to contrast himself with his predecessor, who faced similar age-related scrutiny during the 2024 election.
The revival isn’t just about fitness. It’s about competition
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “We need to teach people how to win and how to lose and how to process victory and defeat.” But the test’s return has drawn criticism for its rigid, performance-based standards, which some argue exclude students with disabilities or different body types. Obama’s Let’s Move program, by comparison, focused on holistic health, like nutrition and accessible physical activity, rather than timed runs or max-rep challenges.
Trump’s fitness push also comes as his administration has faced backlash for fatphobic comments. War Secretary Pete Hegseth drew criticism last October after telling military leaders it’s “tiring to look out at combat formations” and “see fat troops,” or enter the Pentagon and “see fat generals and admirals in the halls.” The remarks echoed broader concerns about how fitness is framed in Trump’s Make America Healthy Again agenda – whether it’s about health or just performance.
For now, the Presidential Fitness Test is back in schools, complete with gold-standard certificates and a renewed emphasis on competition. Whether it’ll actually make kids healthier, or just make them faster at push-ups, remains to be seen. But if Trump’s own fitness routine is any indication, the bar might not be set as high as the awards suggest.
(Featured image: The White House from Washington, DC)
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