Obesity is a burgeoning problem in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention, obesity in the U.S. “affects 100.1 million (41.9%) adults and 14.7 million (19.7%) children and accounts for approximately $147 billion in annual health-care costs.”
Don't Miss: Planet Fitness Wants to Pump Up Your Portfolio Returns
That’s a big reason that Planet Fitness is back with a free offer for U.S. and Canadian kids to exercise at any of their fitness centers, for no cost at all.
The program, High School Summer Pass, is available to teens ages 14 to 19. It starts May 15, 2023, and ends Aug. 31, 2023.
Interested teenagers can register for the program right now on the Planet Fitness program website. They’ll have to download the Planet Fitness mobile app to obtain a digital club pass.
A couple of things:
Teens under 18 in the U.S. and under 19 in Canada must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club. No health check is necessary.
The high-school program is available at all of Planet Fitness's 2,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada
Fitness Program: Good for Kids, Good for Company
The program serves two purposes, for teens and for the company.
1. It gets kids into a fitness regime at a young age, which can curb the lifestyle habits that lead to obesity.
2. It gives Planet Fitness an opportunity to get kids accustomed to the fitness-center experience and encourage them to become dues-paying customers when the program is over.
There's another side benefit to exercise for high school students, too.
“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 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 this summer.”
Health and wellness data also demonstrate that students who completed the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity experienced greater academic achievement compared to those who did not.
“Last year, Planet Fitness’s High School Summer Pass program motivated 3.5 million high-school-aged students to prioritize their health," the company noted in a statement.” The participants completed 17 million workouts at Planet Fitness over 3 1/2 months.
