Experts say revived presidential fitness test is only one step

WASHINGTON — The presidential fitness test, a polarizing fixture in schools from the 1960s through the 2010s, has returned as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s effort to promote youth health and fight chronic disease.

Experts who study youth physical activity told STAT that the test may be a positive step toward getting children moving, but it is not a complete answer to the rise in sedentary lifestyles. They said measuring fitness should be combined with other approaches designed to spark children’s interest in exercise and sustain it over time. Without that, they warned, the test could create unpleasant associations with physical activity rather than encourage it.