NEW YORK — High schoolers in East Texas will get to workout for free this summer at any of the Planet Fitness locations thanks to the return of its High School Summer Pass.
The large fitness center franchise is inviting high school students (ages 14 to 19) to exercise for free at any of its over 2,400 Planet Fitness locations in the U.S. and Canada from May 15 through Aug. 31.
Students can begin registering for the program using PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass before gaining access starting May 15. Those who are under age 18 in the U.S. must register with a parent or guardian online or at one of the gym locations, according to the Planet Fitness website.
There are two Planet Fitness gyms in Tyler (2747 E. 5th St. and 2950 S. Broadway Ave.). Longview (110 Triple Creek Circle), Marshall (620 E End Blvd S), Kilgore (2001 N State Highway 42), Nacogdoches (1102 South Street) and Lufkin (400 N Timberland Drive) each have one location.
Planet Fitness is heading into its third year of providing the High School Summer Pass for high schoolers to stay active during the summer.
The World Health Organization states that youth up to 17 years of age should get an average of least one hour per day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity to boost physical and mental health.
According to the gym company, 3.5 million high school-aged students participated in the program last year and those students 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, CEO 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.”
Another benefit for participating teens is a $10,000 academic scholarship. Ten teens in the U.S. and Canada could each win the prize through a TikTok video submission contest, the announcement detailed.
To enter, teens have to post a TikTok video tagging @planetfitness using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23US (U.S. members). In the post, they'll have to describe their High School Summer Pass experience. The submission period runs through Aug. 31.
Also, the top 10 schools on the leaderboard in the U.S. and Canada will each receive $10,000 to fund athletic equipment, field renovations, physical fitness classes and health and wellness initiatives.
In a national study, Planet Fitness said the company found 61 percent of teens face mental health struggles and 93 percent of teens appreciate how fitness can positively impact their lives, the announcement read.