Fitness Council Battles Diminishing Profile

Washington

A sweatsuit-clad gym teacher, clipboard in one hand, stopwatch in another, counts, times, and rates the curl-ups, pull-ups, stretches, and one-mile runs of her charges, more than a few of whom--of that certain adolescent age--are horrified at how their performance compares with their peers'.

The reward for all that sweat and potential humiliation? The President's Physical Fitness Award, an embroidered blue emblem and certificate stamped with the signature of the president, granted exclusively to the fastest, strongest, and most flexible boys and girls who rise...