Planet Fitness Invites Teens to Work Out for Free All Summer Long From May 15 – August 31

TORONTO, May 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, announces the return of its High School Summer Pass™ program, inviting high schoolers ages 14 – 19¹ to work out for free at any of its more than 2,400 Planet Fitness locations throughout the United States and Canada from May 15 through August 31. Starting today, high schoolers can visit PlanetFitness.ca/SummerPass to register for the program before gaining club access starting Monday, May 15. Teens under 18 in the U.S. and under 19 in Canada must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.

PROVIDING ACCESS IS ESSENTIAL

In its third year, High School Summer Pass continues to offer high schoolers a way to stay active during the summer months in a fun, safe, and Judgement Free environment. According to the current Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, children and youth should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day to boost their physical and mental health². Nearly 1 in 4 hospitalizations for children and youth between the ages of 5 and 24 were for mental health conditions in 2020³, demonstrating that youth today consistently face mental health struggles.

High School Summer Pass allows teens the opportunity to prioritize their mental and physical wellness goals during a critical time when school is out and important academic and extracurricular programs such as sports, gym class and after school activities are in recess. Research also shows that students who complete the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity experienced greater academic achievement compared to those who did not⁴. Last year, Planet Fitness’ High School Summer Pass program motivated 3.5 million high school-aged students to prioritize their health who completed 17 million workouts at Planet Fitness over a three-and-a-half-month period.

“At Planet Fitness, it’s our continued mission as the leader in fitness to provide high school students free access to our more than 2,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada to start and stick with a health and fitness journey.   Research shows that teens are struggling with overall wellness, and this is one of the many reasons why the High School Summer Pass program is so important,” said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. “Having joined the gym for the first time when I was 16, I know firsthand the benefits exercise has had on my life, so we look forward to helping teens create lifelong habits in the Judgement Free Zone® this summer.”

SCHOOL AND STUDENT REWARDS

To further motivate high schoolers to prioritize fitness, all participants who sign up are encouraged to enter the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass Contest⁵. Planet Fitness will award 10 lucky teens in the U.S. and Canada with $10,000 individual academic scholarships ($100,000 total) via a TikTok video submission contest. To enter, teens are asked to post a TikTok video tagging @planetfitness using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23US (U.S. members) or tagging @planetfitnessca using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23CAN (Canada members) that describes their High School Summer Pass experience. The contest submission period runs through August 31.

Additionally, the top 10 schools on the leaderboard across U.S. and Canada in each tier (as described in the rules) will each receive $10,000! These scholarships can be used to fund athletic equipment, field renovations, physical fitness classes and health and wellness initiatives.

OVERCOMING MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES WITH FITNESS

A study conducted by StatsCAN during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the urgent need for mental health support and resources among Canadian youth.

Key findings include:

• Just over 40 per cent of Canadian youth aged 15 to 24 reported having excellent or very good mental health in late March and early April 2020, compared with 62 per cent in 2018—the largest drop of any age group.
• Over half (57 per cent) of participants aged 15 to 17 reported their mental health as either somewhat worse or much worse than it was before the beginning of the pandemic.
• Among children and youth aged 5 to 17, 17 per cent reported poor or fair mental health, and 5 percent reported a diagnosed anxiety disorder.
• More than half (52 per cent) of youth aged 12 to 17 viewed their mental health differently than their parents did, and nearly two-thirds rated it less positively than their parents.

All High School Summer Pass participants will have access to free fitness training from in-club certified trainers⁶, free workouts designed specifically for high schoolers in the free Planet Fitness App as well as workout plans available at PlanetFitness.ca/SummerPass.

For more information on High School Summer Pass, including how to sign up for the free membership at any of the more than 2,400 Planet Fitness locations in the U.S. and Canada, visit PlanetFitness.ca/SummerPass.

About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of December 31, 2022, Planet Fitness had approximately 17 million members and 2,410 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. Approximately 90 percent of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

Media Contact
Becky Zirlen
Senior Director of Communications
603-294-0567
press@pfhq.com

Sreeja Sasidharan
Narrative PR
Sreeja.sasidharan@narrative.ca
647-212-3121

^{_____________________________________________
1} Teenagers ages 14 – 19 can visit any Planet Fitness location in the United States and Canada. Teens must work out at the location they sign up at and are not permitted to use other locations. Teens under 18 must sign-up with a parent or guardian in-club or online at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass. Once the parent or guardian waiver is signed for teens under 18, teens can work out alone. Students who are already 18 do not need a parent or guardian to be present during the sign-up process.
² Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Children and Youth (5-17 years): An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep – Canada, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP)
³ Children and Youth Mental Health in Canada - Canadian Institute of Health Information – Canada, 2022
⁴ Academic Achievement and Physical Activity: The Ideal Relationship to Promote a Healthier Lifestyle in Adolescents – 2020, Human Kinetics Journal.
⁵ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to residents of the 50 US/D.C. and Canadian provinces of ON, AB, MB, SK, NB, NL & BC, 14-19 years of age (with parent approval if a minor). $100,000 USD available in the U.S. and $100,000 CAD available in Canada. Void where prohibited. Begins 12:00 a.m. ET on 5/15/23; ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 8/31/23. Grand Prizes (5 for US Students): a $10,000 USD scholarship. Grand Prizes (5 for CAN Students): a $10,000 CAD scholarship. School Prizes (5; 1 per US school tier): $10,000 for athletics and fitness. School Prizes (5; 1 per CAN school tier): $10,000 CAD for athletics and fitness. Winning schools selected based on number of HSSP members from the school and applicable school tier. All prizes awarded as a check to schools/winners (or parent/legal guardian if winner is a minor). For Official Rules, eligibility, entry and school tier details, visit www.pfsummerpasscontest.com. Sponsor: Planet Fitness Holdings, LLC.
⁶ Locations are independently owned and operated; please check your local club for details.