Studies Continue to Show the Mental and Physical Benefits of Exercise and New Study Finds that Nearly All (94 Percent) of American Teens Admit They Struggle Emotionally and Mentally
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 school teens ages 14 – 19 to work out for free at any of its 2,500+ Planet Fitness locations across the U.S. and Canada this summer, between June 1 and August 31. Starting today, teens can visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass to register for the program before gaining club access starting Saturday, June 1. Teens under the age of 18 in the U.S. and 19 years old in Canada must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club. Since the High School Summer Pass program began, Planet Fitness has invested more than $200 million in waived membership dues to promote youth health and wellness and improve the physical and mental health of millions of teens 2.
ACCESS TO EXERCISE IS EVERYTHING
The High School Summer Pass program kicks off during Mental Health Awareness Month (May) to help teens prioritize their physical and mental health during a critical time of year when school is out and important academic or extracurricular activities are on pause. In fact, the American Heart Association3 has found that only 25 percent of teens complete the recommended one hour of physical activity per day – and screen time is partially to blame. Research also shows that 9 out of 10 teens agree physical activity improves their overall mental health,4 and a recent Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics study4 determined physical fitness among children and adolescents may protect against developing depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; afflictions that have direct correlations to the impacts of the COVID pandemic.
"As the leader in fitness with locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Planet Fitness is proud to continue to invest in today's youth by providing free access to fitness during a critical time in their lives," said Craig Benson, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. "Many teens continue to be impacted by the long-term mental health impacts from the pandemic, yet studies show that exercise can have a significant, positive impact on teens' overall wellness. We look forward to welcoming High School Summer Pass participants into our clubs to support them in their health and wellness journeys."
FITNESS PROVIDES FREEDOM FROM MENTAL HEALTH OBSTACLES
To understand what is top-of-mind among teens today and better support them over the summer, Planet Fitness commissioned a national study,5 which found the following:
- Mental Health Is a Source of Worry. 94 percent of teens face emotional and mental health struggles and about four in five (79 percent) of parents have concerns about their teen's mental health. Luckily, 63 percent of teens have found that they feel better about themselves when they exercise, with more than half (53 percent) experiencing a mood boost and feeling more accomplished.
- Internal Struggles are Real. Three in four teens (72 percent) are self-conscious and confess they struggle with body positivity issues (43 percent), something that's been consistent in year's past.
- The Moment is Now. 85 percent of teens feel that there's no better time than right now to concentrate on improving their health.
- Limiting Screen Time. About seven in 10 (70 percent) teens report that staying off social media and their phones (65 percent) helps them cope with the challenges they're facing.
- Strength Is in The Numbers. Nine in 10 (90 percent) teens feel that exercising with a friend is beneficial to their fitness journey – with others (81 percent) feeling that working out with a parent or sibling, trainer (73 percent), being part of a sports team (69 percent) and following fitness influencers (58 percent) inspires them to be more active.
All High School Summer Pass participants will have access to free fitness training from in-club certified fitness trainers6, free workouts designed specifically for high schoolers in the free Planet Fitness App as well as workout plans available at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass.
For more information on High School Summer Pass, including how to sign up for the free membership at any of the more than 2,500 Planet Fitness locations in the U.S. and Canada, visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass.
