"I Exercise One Minute a Day"... Trump Revives 'Presidential Fitness Award'

U.S. President Donald Trump has revived the "Presidential Physical Fitness Award." By reinstating a program that had been replaced during the Obama Administration with a long-term health improvement initiative instead of competition-based assessments, the intent is to reemphasize competition and physical fitness standards in school physical education.

U.S. President Donald Trump is speaking before signing a proclamation at the White House Oval Office in Washington on the 5th (local time). Photo by AP.

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According to the Associated Press on the 5th (local time), President Trump announced at an event held in the Oval Office of the White House that he would bring back the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. This is part of a move to reintroduce the annual physical fitness test that was previously conducted in American schools.

The Presidential Physical Fitness Award is a program historically linked to the "Presidential Physical Fitness Test," which was administered for decades in U.S. public schools. The test, established in the 1950s, consisted of various athletic events such as the one-mile run and sit-ups. Students who ranked in the top 15% by gender in each event were eligible to receive the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

This test was phased out during former President Barack Obama's tenure, as the focus shifted away from competition-based evaluations toward programs emphasizing long-term health management. President Trump signed an executive order last summer to reintroduce the fitness test. However, the specific evaluation categories and standards for the newly reinstated fitness test have yet to be released.

The event was attended by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Secretary Hegseth announced that the fitness test would be mandatory for students at 161 schools located on U.S. military bases. He stated, "We need young, strong, and healthy Americans," adding, "The idea that competition is bad is where a nation begins to decline."

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President Trump also highlighted the importance of mental strength alongside physical health. He remarked that at the highest level of competition, "everything comes down to mental strength," and praised the athletes present at the event. He then joked about his own exercise habits, saying, "I exercise a lot. Up to one minute a day, if I’m lucky."

President Trump linked this initiative to Secretary Kennedy’s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda. At the event, Secretary Kennedy stated, "We need to teach people how to win and lose, and how to accept both victory and defeat."

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