How many states have mandatory physical education?

There's no single, universally agreed-upon answer to how many states have mandatory physical education. The requirements vary significantly from state to state. While some states might have mandates, the specifics (number of days per week, grade levels included, etc.) differ greatly, and some mandates are weakly enforced or contain loopholes. Therefore, a simple count of "mandatory" states is misleading. Many states *recommend* PE but don't mandate it.