The Presidential Fitness Test is Back: A Bold Prescription for America’s Kids
Why every pediatrician should prioritize it over more shots for well child visits.
This is what every pediatric practice in America should be focused on, enabling every one of their patients to meet and exceed the Presidential Fitness Standard. I am pumped to hear President Trump is bringing it back after former president Obama eliminated it. Great to see a president who believes in the success of our children and is calling them higher.
Imagine how empowering this would be for kids. Instead of coming in to get injected with foreign objects 72 times before the age of 10 they are tested each year on their fitness capacity.
How many pull ups can you perform?
How many push-ups can you perform?
How fast is your shuttle run?
What is your 1 -mile run time?
How have you progressed over the last year? We put all this attention on weight and height, which could be all over the map in healthy and unhealthy children. But fitness, every child can build fitness. Wow, way to go Johnny you can do 4 more push-ups this year than last. Guess what Johnny does, he goes home and starts doing more push-ups.
Doing this would give pediatricians, parents and children something to build towards each appointment. The fact is some kids come out of the womb pumping push-ups, doing pull ups and running like a gazelle. Others are slow to develop. I have 8 children. I see this play out daily. But you know what (because of practice) all my girls can now do unassisted pulls up, except for my 4-month-old.
Imagine a medical model for children built around making them stronger and more capable. I know it is hard to comprehend given the health missing from pediatric “health care.” As part of this fitness standard, pediatricians would be required to demonstrate these movements (yes, those prescribing health ought to be shining examples of said health) to their patients. Please don’t bring up the person with congenital defect who cannot grasp a bar with their left hand and therefore is unable to do a pull up. Having watched the adapted athletes completely destroy workouts at the Crossfit Games, I am convinced more than ever that those with a true handicap do not want to be treated as handicapped.
It is a matter of calling us higher. Instead of lowering our expectations for humanity and our own gene line we are empowering ourselves to reach new heights. We know beyond a shadow of doubt that improving physical fitness is a massive boon for every part of our life, from relationships, self-confidence, metabolism, cognition, sleep and immunity. Why would anyone (unless they have sinister power or financial motives) not want children to experience the best their body has to offer?
I am not a pediatrician, but I do see a fair number of children in my practice. I often review fitness parameters but have yet to create a true system to track and encourage meeting these standards outside of the office visit. I am working on creating this system.
Right now, we have hordes of children who are under performing in life and we are told that this testing emphasizes performance over progress, that it embarrasses or discourages less athletic children, that it will lead to body shaming and is not teaching lifelong fitness habits. These are NOT parents or coaches complaining about keeping a standard because any present parent or coach knows when a child watches Ninja Warrior they start jumping and hanging on things. The problem is most children do not have an adult (parent, teacher, coach, doctor) to emulate when it comes to fitness.
Without standards there is no progress. Should we have stopped Sir Roger Bannister when he came around lap 3 on his was to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile, so as to not discourage the other 99% of the world running who even with valent effort will never run a sub 4-minute mile. Did the world stop running because of Sir Roger Bannister’s barrier breakthrough, not for a second? People said “if he can do that I wonder what my body is capable of.”
The community that is America found out in the most painful way during covid, we do not have the medical capacity to support a metabolically derange populous. It is paramount that we make a hard right toward building physical capacity. Our medical system proved for all the world to see; it could not save us.
One of the most powerful things you could do is enable your child, with the full support of your pediatrician to meet the 85th percentile and receive the Presidential Physical Fitness award. It is not about your economic status, who your parents are, what school you go to, your height or weight, it is every single one of us going from where we are to a higher level of fitness.
Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
1 mile run
Shuttle run
Ask your pediatrician to help create a plan to enable your child to get the Presidential Physical Fitness award.