The Presidential Fitness Test
Why it started and whether or not we should bring it back
If you were part of the K-12 public education system in the United States, then you probably took the Presidential Fitness Test in your physical education (PE) class. This test may or may not have brought back positive memories from your childhood. For the lovers of exercise and those looking to improve their physical performance, have you ever wondered how you would do on this test today? Before we get into the requirements for completing the test, let’s see how this test started and why it became mandatory in schools.
In the 1950s, the United States government was looking for ways to improve schools nationwide, specifically in the areas of science, mathematics, and physical education. Given the time of these reforms, this change was due to the race to outer space and battle preparations during what was known as the Cold War Era. In regards to physical fitness, doctors Hans Kraus and Sonya Weber created the Kraus-Weber Test as a way to assess the fitness of school-aged children.
The Kraus-Weber Test was not very successful in the United States. In certain regions of the country, over 50% of children between the ages of 6 and 16 failed the test, while the youth in many Western European countries had a much lower failure rate. It is believed that…
