"Public displays of fitness by American politicians are nothing new. Presidents George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant, among others, were all depicted riding warhorses as symbols of "leadership and executive ability."[3] America's twenty-sixth president, Theodore Roosevelt, was renowned for his love of fisticuffs. He often asked professional boxers to strike him in the jaw, and then he would hit them back.[4]"
"President Ronald Reagan grew up playing football and swimming, and he was memorably photographed on horseback clearing a hurdle.[5] President Bill Clinton was often photographed jogging around Washington, D.C., to the chagrin of the Secret Service officers tasked with protecting him.[6] President Barak Obama was notorious for his basketball prowess and sports fandom. He once struck the Heisman pose with Alabama running back Derrick Henry for photographers.[7]"
August 2025 featured American politicians posting fitness videos, including a weight-lifting clip of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that challenged Americans to 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups. New York City's mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani and Mayor Eric Adams posted bench-press videos. Such public displays promote wellness, signal readiness for leadership roles, and parade martial virtues like courage and discipline. Historical leaders have used athletic imagery: presidents were depicted on warhorses; Theodore Roosevelt embraced physical combat and boxing; Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama publicly showcased athletic pursuits. Character formation, athleticism, and motivation influence assessments of virtue and leadership.
Read at Psychology Today
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