Planet Fitness invites teens to work out free all summer long, chance to win a $5K scholarship

Teens looking to work on their mental and physical health should head to Planet Fitness this summer.

The national fitness center has launched an initiative allowing all high school students to attend its fitness centers for free.

As part of its High School Summer Pass, teens aged 14-19 are eligible to work out for free through Aug. 31. Parents of teens under 18 will need to sign a waiver online or in-person.

“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 the pandemic,” Planet Fitness Chief Executive Officer Chris Rondeau said in prepared statements.

“Our study found that nearly all (92 percent) high school students agreed that when they are regularly 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.”

Formally known as Teen Summer Challenge, the program originally launched in 2019 and saw more than 900,000 teens register. More than 5.5 million workouts were completed that summer.

Since then, the global pandemic has taken a mental and physical toll on students.

Less than 15 percent of teens met the 60-minute daily physical activity recommendation during the pandemic, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.

About 93 percent of American teens have expressed a desire to stay healthy and active during the summer, according to a national study commissioned by Planet Fitness, though many lack access to fitness centers and physical literacy.

By granting access to its gyms nationwide, Planet Fitness encourages and empowers teens to focus on their physical and mental well-being and remain active after school extracurriculars break for the summer months.

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Several perks come along with the free summer membership, including free in-club fitness training and 15 trainer-led workout videos and 10 downloadable workouts designed for high schoolers across all fitness levels incorporating cardio, strength, toning and sports circuits.

Virtual content is available on the Planet Fitness app and online.

Not to mention, each teen that registers for the High School Summer Pass will be entered for the chance to win a scholarship.

The sweepstakes will award one $500 scholarship in each state, including the District of Columbia, and one grand prize $5,000 scholarship at the end of the summer.

Scholarships may be used for academic or athletic activities.

For more information, visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass.

Katie Nixon can be reached at [email protected] or (615) 517-1285.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Planet Fitness invites teens to work out free all summer long, chance to win a $5k scholarship