The shuttle run! The flexed arm hang! The v-sit reach! These terms are seared into the memories of an entire generation of American schoolchildren. But did the President's Physical Fitness Test actually make us fitter? (Spoiler: lol no) Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song! Links! The Report That Shocked The President JFK’s Sports Illustrated article, “The Soft American” 1958–2008: 50 Years of Youth Fitness Tests in the United States The President's Council on Physical Fitness and the Systematisation of Children's Play in America Why is there so little critical physical education scholarship in the United States? The case of Fitnessgram The Modern Era: Blossoming of the Olympic Movement and the Conquest of Acute Disease The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: The First 50 Years Do Fitness Test Performances Predict Students’ Attitudes And Emotions Toward Physical Education?
