President Trump on Thursday revived the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, saying it was to ensure young Americans are healthy and active.

The program was initially created in 1966 by President Johnson and required children to run and perform sit ups, pullups, pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program was phased out in 2012 after the Obama administration opted to focus more on individual health than athletic tests.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order to restore the fitness test. Its implementation will be administered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Children who receive the highest scores will receive presidential recognition.

The order says the fitness test will address “the widespread epidemic of declining health and physical fitness” and instructs the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness to partner with “professional athletes, sports organizations and influential figures.”

“This was a wonderful tradition and we are bringing it back,” Mr. Trump said at a White House ceremony that featured several professional athletes, including golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, former WWE Wrestler Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque and Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam.

The Obama administration had eliminated the fitness test saying it was necessary to move away “from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student’s health.” 

President Obama replaced it with the Fitnessgram, which he said was more focused on individual health needs.

First lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let’s Move” initiative to reduce childhood obesity through diet and exercise. 

Reinvigorating the sports council and the fitness test fits with Mr. Trump’s focus on athletics.

The Republican president played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches.

The announcement Thursday comes as he readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The return of the exam brought mixed reactions from some who study exercise.

Mr. Trump is putting a welcome focus on physical activity, but a test alone won’t make America’s children healthier, said Laura Richardson, a kinesiology professor at the University of Michigan. The exam is only a starting point that should be paired with lessons to help all students improve, she said.

“It’s not just, you get a score and you’re doomed,” said Ms. Richardson, whose teaching focuses on obesity. “But you get a score, and we can figure out a program that really helps the improvement.”

This article is based in part on wire service reports.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.