Helping K–12 students move more, measure progress, and develop lifelong healthy habits
America's renewed focus on youth fitness is creating an exciting opportunity for physical education teachers, school administrators, and school districts. With the launch of the Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge, schools now have an opportunity to demonstrate how innovative physical education programs can improve student fitness, increase participation, and create healthier school communities.
Announced October 1, 2026, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this $10 million national prize competition encourages schools and youth-serving organizations to implement the Presidential Fitness Test (PFT), motivate students to improve their fitness, and develop positive experiences that support lifelong healthy habits.
For physical education programs, this initiative represents more than a fitness assessment. It is an opportunity to rethink how schools engage students in physical activity, measure progress, and make physical education an essential part of student wellness.
Heart Zones believes that every student deserves the opportunity to experience success through movement—not just the students who are already athletic.
With Heart Zones Move, physical education teachers can bring real-time heart rate tracking, student engagement, and measurable physical activity into their classrooms.
What Is the Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge?
The Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge is a $10 million federal prize competition designed to recognize schools and organizations that develop effective, sustainable, and innovative approaches to improving youth fitness.
The initiative focuses on three important objectives:
Encouraging students to participate in physical activity and improve their fitness.
Creating positive experiences that motivate students to develop healthy habits.
Recognizing schools and organizations that demonstrate effective approaches to youth fitness.
The competition includes two funding and recognition opportunities.
Track 1: Presidential Fitness Test Implementation & Innovation — $7 Million
This track recognizes organizations that have implemented innovative approaches to the Presidential Fitness Test and can demonstrate measurable results.
Awards range from $20,000 to $1 million.
Schools should be prepared to demonstrate:
How their fitness program engages students.
Evidence of student fitness improvement.
Innovative teaching strategies and program implementation.
Lessons learned and improvements made to their programs.
How their approach can be sustained and expanded to additional students and schools.
Where Heart Zones fits: Heart Zones Move gives PE teachers an additional way to understand student activity and effort during physical education classes. Heart rate data, time in target heart rate zones, and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) reporting can help educators evaluate how effectively their lessons engage students in movement.
Track 2: Presidential Fitness Test Participation & Equipment — $3 Million
This track provides equipment vouchers ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to eligible organizations.
The emphasis is on participation, student engagement, inclusion, and creating positive experiences around physical fitness.
Schools should explain:
How they encourage students to participate.
How they make fitness activities enjoyable and inclusive.
How they support students with different fitness abilities.
How equipment will help sustain physical activity beyond testing day.
Where Heart Zones fits: Heart Zones Move helps teachers create interactive PE experiences where students can see their activity levels and work toward personal fitness goals. Rather than focusing exclusively on test scores, educators can encourage students to recognize their effort, participation, and individual progress.
Important: Heart Zones Move supports physical education and activity monitoring. Schools must separately administer the official Presidential Fitness Test according to the competition's requirements.
Why Physical Education Needs More Than a Fitness Test
Fitness testing can provide a snapshot of a student's physical capabilities. However, a single assessment does not tell the entire story.
Consider two students in the same PE class.
One student may already be physically active and perform well on a fitness assessment. Another may struggle with running, push-ups, or other activities but work hard throughout the entire class.
Should their success be measured in exactly the same way?
Physical education should recognize that students begin at different fitness levels and have different abilities. The goal should be to help every student become more physically active, develop confidence, and make progress.
This is where technology can make a meaningful difference.
Heart Zones Move gives teachers real-time visibility into student heart rate activity, helping them create lessons that encourage participation and allow students to see their own effort.
Instead of asking only, "How many students passed the fitness test?" educators can also ask:
How much time did students spend being physically active?
Were students reaching appropriate heart rate training zones?
Which activities encouraged the greatest participation?
Are students becoming more physically active over time?
How can PE lessons be improved to engage more students?
These are important questions when building a sustainable physical education program.
How Heart Zones Move Supports the Goals of the Presidential Fitness Initiative
Heart Zones Move is designed to help physical education teachers make movement measurable, engaging, and meaningful.
It combines wearable heart rate tracking, classroom technology, and reporting tools to help educators understand student activity during PE.
1. Make Physical Activity Visible
With Heart Zones Move, students can see their heart rate and understand how their bodies respond to exercise.
Teachers can use real-time feedback to encourage students to move, challenge themselves, and recognize the importance of physical activity.
2. Measure Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA)
One of the important objectives of quality physical education is helping students achieve meaningful amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Heart Zones Move provides teachers with information about student activity and time spent in target heart rate zones.
This information can help educators evaluate lesson effectiveness and identify opportunities to increase active participation.
3. Encourage Individual Progress Instead of Just Competition
Not every student will achieve the same fitness benchmark.
Heart Zones encourages students to focus on personal effort, individual goals, and improvement.
Teachers can use FIT Points, Fit Stars, and group fitness goals to create positive classroom experiences that reward participation and engagement.
4. Create More Engaging PE Lessons
Heart rate feedback can transform traditional PE activities into interactive learning experiences.
Students can participate in fitness circuits, walking and running challenges, team activities, and classroom-wide fitness goals while observing their activity levels.
Teachers can use this information to adjust activities and keep more students engaged.
5. Support School-Wide Physical Education Goals
Physical education should be more than an individual teacher's classroom initiative.
Heart Zones Insights, through the Connect Portal, provides reporting capabilities that help schools understand student activity and MVPA participation.
These insights can help support conversations among PE teachers, school administrators, district leaders, and wellness coordinators about improving physical education.
Turning Student Activity Into Measurable Results
The Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge emphasizes innovation, measurable outcomes, and sustainable programming.
Schools should consider documenting more than fitness test results.
A comprehensive approach to evaluating physical education may include:
| What schools should evaluate | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Student participation | Shows how many students are engaged |
| Time in target heart rate zones | Provides insight into exercise intensity |
| MVPA minutes | Helps evaluate physical activity levels |
| Individual progress | Recognizes improvement over time |
| Lesson effectiveness | Identifies activities that encourage movement |
| Program sustainability | Demonstrates long-term potential |
Heart Zones Move and Heart Zones Insights can help educators collect and evaluate important activity information as part of their broader physical education program.
The combination of fitness assessments and ongoing activity monitoring provides a more complete picture of student fitness and participation.
A Practical Timeline for Schools Preparing for the Challenge
The Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge has an entry deadline of February 5, 2027, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Schools should begin preparing now rather than waiting until the submission deadline approaches.
November 2026: Establish Your Program
Review the official competition requirements.
Register your eligible school or organization.
Meet with school administrators and PE department leadership.
Establish baseline fitness and activity measurements.
Identify opportunities to incorporate Heart Zones Move into PE classes.
December 2026: Implement and Document
Continue administering the fitness and physical education program.
Use activity data to evaluate student participation.
Document successful teaching strategies.
Collect examples of student engagement and program improvements.
Photograph activities when appropriate permissions are in place.
January 2027: Evaluate Student Progress
Conduct follow-up assessments as appropriate.
Compare results with baseline measurements.
Review student activity and MVPA reports.
Document improvements and lessons learned.
Prepare the competition submission.
February 2027: Submit Your Entry
Complete the required application materials.
Review all eligibility and submission requirements.
Submit your entry before February 5, 2027, at 5 p.m. ET.
Always consult the official competition rules for current requirements, testing procedures, and submission instructions.
Why Heart Zones Believes Every Student Should Be Part of the Fitness Conversation
For more than three decades, Heart Zones has worked to make heart rate training and physical activity more accessible, understandable, and engaging.
Our philosophy is simple: physical education should motivate students to participate, understand their bodies, and develop healthy habits that extend beyond the gym.
Heart Zones Move brings this philosophy into K–12 physical education through:
Real-time heart rate monitoring.
Individual and group fitness goals.
Heart rate training zones.
MVPA activity reporting.
Student engagement tools.
Classroom and school-wide insights.
Heart Zones Move is used in more than 2,100 schools nationwide, helping educators bring measurable activity and engagement into physical education.
Our approach is not about creating a classroom full of elite athletes. It is about helping every student discover the benefits of movement and experience personal success.
Motivating Minds. Engaging Hearts.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge
What is the Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge?
It is a $10 million federal prize competition announced by HHS on October 1, 2026. It recognizes eligible schools and youth-serving organizations that implement the Presidential Fitness Test, encourage student participation, and develop innovative approaches to improving youth fitness.
When is the application deadline?
The announced deadline is February 5, 2027, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
How much funding is available?
The competition includes $7 million in cash prizes for implementation and innovation and $3 million in equipment vouchers for participation and equipment.
Can individual PE teachers apply?
The competition is intended for eligible organizations, including schools, school districts, and youth-serving organizations. Teachers should work with their school or organization's leadership to determine eligibility and coordinate an entry.
Does a school have to use heart rate monitors to participate?
No. Heart rate monitoring is not a stated requirement of the competition. However, technology such as Heart Zones Move can provide additional information about student activity, effort, and MVPA during physical education.
Can Heart Zones Move replace the Presidential Fitness Test?
No. Heart Zones Move complements fitness assessments by providing ongoing activity monitoring and reporting. Schools must administer the required Presidential Fitness Test separately.
How can schools use heart rate monitoring to improve PE?
Teachers can use heart rate feedback to understand exercise intensity, encourage participation, establish individual goals, evaluate lesson effectiveness, and help students recognize their physical activity.
Where can schools find official competition information?
Visit Fitness.gov for official program information, resources, registration, and competition requirements.
Give Your Students More Opportunities to Move, Participate, and Succeed
The Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge creates an important opportunity for schools to rethink how they approach physical education.
Fitness is not simply about running faster, doing more push-ups, or achieving a particular score. It is about helping students develop the confidence, knowledge, and motivation to live active lives.
Heart Zones Move helps make physical activity visible and engaging, giving teachers another tool to motivate students and understand what is happening in their PE classrooms.
Whether your school is preparing for the Presidential Fitness School Innovation Challenge or simply looking for ways to improve physical education, Heart Zones can help you make student activity measurable.
Discover how Heart Zones Move can transform your physical education program.
Visit Heart Zones to learn more about Heart Zones Move and Heart Zones Insights.
Heart Zones — Motivating Minds. Engaging Hearts.