CHICAGO (WGN) — High school students between the ages of 14 to 19 can work out for free at any of Planet Fitness’ clubs this summer.
The company says the program, which runs from May 16 to Aug. 31, is part of their High School Summer Pass Initiative and aims at improving teens’ mental and physical health.
The program was formally known as the Teen Summer Challenge, which launched in 2019 and saw more than 900,000 teens sign up and complete more than 5.5 million workouts over a three-and-a-half-month period, according to the company.
High schoolers can visit the website to pre-register and get a reminder to formally sign up when the program kicks off on May 16.
Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.
According to the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, less than 15% of teens met the 60-minute daily physical activity recommendation during the pandemic.
All participants who sign up are automatically entered into the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass Sweepstakes.
The company will award one $500 scholarship in each state, and the District of Columbia, and one $5,000 scholarship grand prize at the end of the summer. The scholarships can be used for academic or athletic activities or programs.
The company also has COVID-19 protocols in place:
- Touchless check-in via the free Planet Fitness app – available to all High School Summer Pass participants
- A Crowd Meter on the Planet Fitness App that allows members to check club capacity in real-time
- Increased sanitization to continually clean and sanitize high-touch areas, with cleaning stations available for member use
- Mask policies in accordance with local guidelines