If you went to an American public school between 1966 and 2012, you probably have memories of sweating through the Presidential Physical Fitness Test — a gym class gantlet that involved a mile run, sit-ups, pull-ups (or push-ups), a sit-and-reach and a shuttle run.
For those who were athletically inclined, it was a chance to shine: Children who scored in the top 15 percent were honored with a Presidential Physical Fitness Award.
For those who weren’t, it could be a source of dread: proof that you just weren’t cut out to exercise.
Born of Cold War-era fears that America was becoming “soft,” the test was first introduced by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966.
The goal was to improve the fitness of the nation’s youth for military service, said Dawn Coe, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Persons:
Lyndon Johnson, Dawn Coe, Barack Obama, “, Dr, Coe
Organizations:
University of Tennessee
Locations:
American, Knoxville