May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, an initiative that was started in 1983 when it was first recognized by President Ronald Reagan. Reagan acknowledged the importance of health and wellness for all Americans when he first designated the formation of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
“Many individuals, families, communities, and others are increasingly concerned about physical fitness, and there is a growing recognition that physical activity is an important part of daily life for people of both sexes and all ages,” Reagan stated. “Americans who are not reaping the benefits and pleasures of physical activity and sports should develop a personal physical fitness program in accordance with their capability.”
Every president has issued their own proclamations to maintain the tradition Reagan started, but the focus on health and fitness for the nation’s citizens can be traced back to three decades before that. In 1955, then President Dwight D. Eisenhower was made aware of the Kraus-Weber test, which compared the muscular strength and flexibility of American school children against European children. The results were shocking to the White House: nearly 60% of the American kids failed at least one of the basic core strength tests, while only about 9% of European kids failed.
Viewing physical deficiency as a looming national security issue, Eisenhower took action. One decision came in 1956 by signing Executive Order 10673, establishing the President’s Council on Youth Fitness to design solutions to help the country’s children improve their physical health.
The History and Evolution of the President’s Fitness Council
That council has evolved over the years since as has its role in the awareness of health and fitness for all Americans. That started with President John F. Kennedy, followed by his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, who felt sports should be included as well. In 2010, President Barack Obama opted to include nutrition as well as physical fitness.
Along with the shift in focus, the council has also undergone multiple name changes, ultimately becoming the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN). As the United States enters the “Decade of Sport” with the upcoming World Cup, 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the PCSFN will be celebrating their 70th anniversary, and its work is as important as ever. President Donald Trump verified this in his latest proclamation of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month by reinstating the Presidential Physical Fitness Award and the Presidential Fitness Test.
Trump said, “Physical dedication sharpens the mind, steels the will, and produces the kind of character that Americans carry into every aspect of their lives. Citizens who hold themselves to that standard of excellence are capable of meeting any challenge of the world today.”
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The Role of Bodybuilding in America’s Health Movement
If one was to look back on the evolution and history of the PCSFN, they would see that bodybuilding has had a profound impact on fitness at a national level. President Kennedy sought advice from fitness icon Jack LaLanne during the 1961 rebranding. LaLanne worked behind the scenes to help design the actual physical education curricula that were pushed out to American public schools, including calisthenics and other exercises that required no equipment.
Fast forward to 1990, which was when 41st President George H.W. Bush brought in seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the chairman of the council. Schwarzenegger served in that role until 1993, and it could be considered the roots of his political career, culminating in becoming California’s Governor in 2003. He saw it as not only a privilege but a form of payment for what he felt America gave him.
“The President’s Council was my chance to pay my rent to the country that made me,” Schwarzenegger said when reflecting on his appointment at one of his Great American Workout events. Six years after Schwarzenegger’s term ended, another Mr. Olympia champion followed in the form of eight-time winner Lee Haney, who served under both Presidents Clinton and Bush (43). Haney focused on getting communities at large involved in the fitness movement, including calling on moms and dads to be examples for the next generation.
During his time at the helm, Haney proclaimed, “Parents must lead by example. Don’t use the cliché; do as I say and not as I do. We are our children’s first and most important role models.”
President Trump also looked to the world of bodybuilding for leaders to guide his administration on what is best for health and fitness. Former Mr. Universe and The Incredible Hulk icon Lou Ferrigno was on the PCSFN during Trump’s first term. Joining Ferrigno on that version of the council was International Sports Hall of Fame president and founder Dr. Robert Goldman and current M&F Military Editor Rob Wilkins—both of whom had direct connections to the IFBB and their founders, Joe and Ben Weider.
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Bodybuilding’s support for the country’s health and fitness continues today. As recently as 2024, M&F and the Olympia were represented at the annual PCSFN meeting. Wilkins and Olympia President Dan Solomon met with members and leaders about the importance of health for all Americans and how bodybuilding can play a vital role in spreading that message. Following the meeting, Solomon expressed gratitude for the work that the PCSFN was doing, which continues today under Trump’s second term.
“The room was filled with amazing people,” Solomon expressed following the meeting. “The council is playing an important role by shining a spotlight on America’s pursuit of longevity, strength, fitness, and overall health.”
The Future of America’s Physical Fitness and Sports
As the United States celebrates its semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary, health and fitness is more important than ever. Never before has there been as much research on longevity, movement, nutrition, recovery, sleep, and training as there is in 2026. That work comes at a time when over 75% of the country’s young people would not qualify to serve in the military. Even as we are over a fourth into the 21st century, physical wellness could still be considered a national security matter, which is why actions like bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test were taken. Wilkins saw the significance of the Decade of Sport two years ago and emphasized why it will matter over the next ten years.
“I believe America’s upcoming Olympic Games in ’28 and ’34 present a unique opportunity to enhance awareness and promote physical activity, particularly among our youth. This is also an ideal time to focus on national health.” To support the revived test, Trump’s administration also created whitehouse.gov/fitness, an interactive page that shows the fitness targets that young Americans should be striving for so they can earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. He has also brought in new members of the PCSFN, including new chairman and two-time U.S. Open golf champion Bryson DeChambeau.
Bodybuilding is also represented in this version of the council thanks to the inclusion of WWE Hall of Famer and former Olympia host Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Levesque competed onstage in his younger years and has been a supporter of the sport throughout the decades.
While both the council and bodybuilding have evolved over the last 70 years, one constant remains: the athletes, publishers, and leaders within the fitness industry are invaluable allies to the country’s goals. Eisenhower’s actions laid out the groundwork for the generations that followed, and it is now up to current citizens to be the example for the next generation. Paying attention to your health and being your best now is not only good for yourself, it can be a small but direct way to continue serving yourself, your family, and the community you live in. The better each of us become, the better America becomes.
To learn more about the PCSFN and their current guidelines, go to their website.
