WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people’s health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises.

“This is a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.

An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau; and others who’ve attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender.

The announcement also came as Trump readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for.

Trump on Thursday said the council, known formally as the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, will also deal with various issues on college athletics, such as the transfer portal that has more easily allowed athletes to switch from school to school. The council, which will have up to 30 members, will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award. The fitness test will be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In the test, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program changed in 2012. It evolved into the Youth Fitness Program, which the government said “moved away from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student’s health.” Then-first lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let’s Move” initiative focused on reducing childhood obesity through diet and exercise.

The Youth Fitness Test, according to a Health and Human Services Department website last updated in 2023 but still online Thursday, “minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health.”