Sailors over their recommended weight limit are normally required to get their body fat approximated according to their height and weight during the official body composition assessment phase of the exam. (Ange Olivier Clement/U.S. Navy)

The Navy in 2025 aims to cut some sailors a break if they cannot meet body assessment standards but can score high enough in the service’s official physical exam.

The Navy announced updates to its Fitness Enhancement Program in a Nov. 24 message, giving sailors who come up short on the service’s body composition assessment standards an incentive for passing the fitness phase with a score of excellent-low or higher.

“We are modernizing our [body composition assessment] by recognizing our current policies and procedures can be improved to better assess every single Sailor to determine a Sailor’s overall physical readiness,” the message states.

Sailors will be passed if they attain an excellent-low or higher and will not be required to do the body composition assessment phase, the age-adjusted standards or complete the Fitness Enhancement Program, according to the updated policy.

The exemption recognizes that some sailors who do not meet the body composition standard are still able to maintain operational readiness, the update said. The exemption also aligns with Department of Defense policy.

To be eligible for the exemption, the sailor must perform the maximum number of pushups, a timed forearm plank and a timed run or alternate cardio, on the official fitness test.

Sailors over their recommended weight limit are normally required to get their body fat approximated according to their height and weight during the official body composition assessment phase of the exam.

They are also required to report any potential medical issues prior to the body composition assessment, according to Navy guidelines.

The policy update is part of the service’s Culture of Excellence 2.0 initiative.

Any exempted sailor would still be required to complete one of the Navy’s nutrition education options. Those programs include a Nutrition Self-Study Course, Mission Nutrition Course and a ShipShape Program, among others.

Sailors who fail one fitness test would be put on a command’s fitness enhancement program to help them improve. They would also be barred from advancement until they passed the next fitness exam.

The Navy last year removed failed fitness tests from members’ records after it missed its retention goals by more than 7,000 newly enlisted sailors, according to a U.S. Naval Institute report in October 2023.

Sailors who failed a physical fitness assessment on or before Feb. 15, 2023, had their records reset to zero, the Navy said at the time.