May 5 (UPI) -- In honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation announcing the revival of the Presidential Fitness Test, an annual physical fitness trial for schoolchildren.
"Sports and fitness are woven into the fabric of American identity, and the greatness that defines our Nation is forged only through hardwork, sweat and an unrelenting demand for success," Trump said in the proclamation. "Physical dedication sharpens the mind, steels the will and produces the kind of character that Americans carry into every aspect of their lives."
Trump signed the initial executive order to bring back the test in August 2025, calling it a pillar of American youth.
The Presidential Fitness Test Award started in the 1950s. Its challenges adapted and changed over the years -- in 1985, they included a certain amount of sit-ups and pull-ups, a shuttle run and one-mile run in a certain time frame and a stretch to test flexibility, Yahoo News reported -- before it was retired in 2012 amidst concerns about its effectiveness, one-size-fits-all approach and the risk of bullying because of the public nature of the test.
The Trump administration has not yet announced the content of the new test.
