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FREE WORKOUTS FOR TEENS ALL SUMMER!

By Informational Post May 15, 2023

Planet Fitness announced that high schoolers aged 14-19 are invited to work out for FREE at any of its locations across the United States NOW through Aug. 31, 2023.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, less than 15 percent of teens met the 60-minute daily physical activity recommendation during the pandemic.** And a national study*** commissioned by Planet Fitness found that 93 percent of American teens want to stay healthy and active over the summer months, but many lack motivation or access to do so. High School Summer Pass offers a solution for teenagers eager to stay active when school sports programs, gym classes and after school activities wind down.

“As the leader in fitness, we believe we have a responsibility to provide a welcoming, safe, and Judgement Free environment for high school students to improve their physical and mental wellness, particularly given the challenges they have and continue to face in the wake of a pandemic,” Chris Rondeau, Planet Fitness’ CEO, said in a statement. “Our study found that nearly all (92 percent) high school students agreed that when they are physically active, they feel much better mentally. Fitness is about feeling good, too, and our hope is that High School Summer Pass empowers teens to create life-long workout habits to help them succeed in every aspect of their lives.”

The High School Summer Pass Initiative was formerly known as the “Teen Summer Challenge”. At the time, Planet Fitness said more than 900,000 teenagers took part and completed more than 5.5 million workouts.

INSIGHT INTO TEEN HEALTH & FITNESS

To uncover how high schoolers view health and fitness today, Planet Fitness commissioned a national study in partnership with Material to shed light on mental and physical health from both teens’ and parents’ perspectives.  Although negatively impacted by the pandemic, teens are ready to make a commitment to getting healthy, both physically and mentally.

Key findings include:

  • Physical Fitness for the Win. Despite three in five teens (60 percent) reporting their usual health and fitness routines were severely disrupted over the last two years, nearly all (89 percent) of their parents credit regular exercise and physical activity as helping their teens cope with the challenges of the pandemic. And nearly all (92 percent) teens agree that when they are regularly physically active, they feel much better mentally.
    • Although many teens make exercise and fitness a priority in their life (65 percent), there are significant barriers to doing so. In fact, 78 percent of teens note that just having access to a place to work out and being able to do so with friends (72 percent) would benefit their health and fitness journeys.
    • A majority of teens who exercise also agree that physical fitness makes them feel healthier (61 percent), stronger (57 percent) and happier (50 percent). It also provides the meaningful health benefits of more energy (69 percent), increased strength (64 percent) and stress relief (61 percent).
    • And 84 percent of teens agree that there has never been a better time than now to focus on their health.
  • Mental Health Takes Center Stage. Almost half (48 percent) of teens admit that they struggled with mental health for the first time during the pandemic. And more than half (51 percent) explain they currently struggle with anxiety.
    • Parents are overwhelmingly concerned about how the past two years have impacted their teens’ mental health (71 percent), overall health (66 percent) and physical fitness (60 percent). And 71 percent are equally concerned for their high schooler’s academic progress and preparedness for college.
    • That said, more than four in five teens report they are feeling hopeful about what’s to come in the future (85 percent) and that the pandemic showed them how strong they really are (82 percent).
  • Let's Get Talking. Parents have overwhelmingly spoken more regularly to their teens over the past two years about topics like self-esteem and confidence (92 percent), exercise and working out (88 percent) and mental health (82 percent). The majority of teens today also say they are now more open and communicative about their feelings (79 percent).
  • Screen Time, More Time. A majority of parents (55 percent) also report the time their teens spend on social media has increased since the start of the pandemic. In fact, many parents feel their teens are spending more time being sedentary than active – 54 percent noted their teens text more today, 52 percent saw an uptick in playing video games and 50 percent of parents say their teen is spending more time watching TV.
    • And more teens agree they spend too much time in front of screens than they did right before the pandemic (61 percent in 2022 versus 52 percent in 2020).

In addition to free in-club fitness training that all High School Summer Pass participants will have access to, the certified trainers at Planet Fitness have also designed 15 trainer-led workout videos and 10 downloadable workouts – encompassing cardio, strength, toning and sports circuits – just for high schoolers (across all fitness levels). This content will be available on the Planet Fitness App and at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass starting May 15.

Starting today, high schoolers can visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass to pre-register, and get a reminder to formally sign up when the program officially kicks off on Monday, May 15. Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.

As a High School Summer Pass™ participant, you can participate in a video contest for a chance to win a scholarship. 10 lucky students who submit a video will win $10,000*!

All summer long, we’ll have a High School Summer Pass™ leaderboard keeping track of the number of sign ups from each school. At the end of the summer, the top 10 schools on the leaderboard will each receive a $10,000 grant*! The winners can use these grants for new athletic equipment, field renovations, physical fitness classes, and health and wellness classes. Invite your friends to join with you and track your school on the leaderboard!




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