WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the structure of a new presidential fitness test at an event in Atlantic City on Monday, June 29, 2026. The announcement follows an executive order signed in 2025 that revitalized the test, which was discontinued in 2012.

The new test includes a timed run, an upper-body strength test, and a core test, with benchmarks set by a child's age and gender. All participating children receive certificates recognizing their participation or achievement of goals. The Department of Health and Human Services stated that several states have agreed to integrate the test into their school curricula, though officials did not specify which states.

Kennedy emphasized the current health situation of the population, stating, "We literally have the sickest population in the world." He also remarked on the nature of setbacks, saying, "Failure is a part of life."

"The bottom line is that measuring fitness does not create fitness," said Avery Faigenbaum, a professor of health and exercise science at the College of New Jersey. Faigenbaum added, "Fitness testing is sort of a double-edged sword. We can identify children who need intervention … [but] this kind of testing can be embarrassing and can turn people off from physical activity."

Matthew Ladwig, an assistant professor of integrative human health at Purdue University Northwest, noted concerns about potential embarrassment. "The worst experiences that people tend to report are something having to do with embarrassment. That was the leading indicator. A lot of people felt that with the old [presidential fitness] test, which, unfortunately, shares a lot of similarities with the new one," Ladwig said. He further explained, "When failure is private, supported, and framed as progress, it can be motivating. But the type of failure that often comes with fitness testing is public and witnessed by peers." Faigenbaum also indicated, "Kids engage when it's fun."

A 2018 survey published in the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, which included over 1,000 participants across the U.S., found an association between negative memories of school physical activity and sedentary habits later in life. The presidential fitness test was previously phased out during the Obama administration in favor of a more flexible youth fitness program. According to a 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, approximately 1 in 4 students met the daily 60-minute physical activity recommendation.

The White House task force on youth fitness is chaired by professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau, with Paul Levesque, also known as Triple H, serving as vice chair. Historical antecedents include Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson pushing for a nationwide physical fitness program in the 1960s, with the Johnson administration establishing an award for exceptional achievement in physical fitness.