Planet Fitness hosting open house for Columbus teens to sign up for free memberships
Planet Fitness is re-launching a program to give high school students free gym memberships this summer, and locations across Columbus are hosting open house events on Wednesday for parents and kids to check it out.
The gym’s High School Summer Pass, formally known as Teen Summer Challenge, will allow Columbus teens ages 14-19 to work out for free from May 16 through August 31. Teens will be able to tour the facilities and sign up for the program during the open house.
Dr. Susan McWhirter, of Rivertown Pediatrics, said she will be encouraging her eligible patients to sign up for the program because teens become less active over the summer, and the program is a good way to stay healthy in an air-conditioned environment.
“Gym memberships can be expensive and out of reach for many families,” McWhirter said. “I applaud Planet Fitness for what they are doing.”
The program is the first of its kind, according to a news release, and had more than 900,000 teens participate nationwide in 2019. The 2022 revamp of the program will include more benefits for participants than the program in 2019 did, said Abbi Handfield, general manager of the Planet Fitness on Milgen Road.
“They have the ability to get the Planet Fitness app,” she said. “And there’s thousands of workouts on there. And there’s a lot for teens specifically.”
Participants will also be entered into a scholarship contest. Georgia teens have a chance to win $500, and nationwide there’s a grand prize scholarship of $5,000.
Health benefits of the summer program
Summer is the best time to increase activity because the longer daylight hours allow for more outdoor activities, such as biking, swimming or running, McWhirter said.
“But with the heat index, one can be more prone to dehydration, muscle injury and sunburns,” she said. “Planet Fitness will provide an indoor space to continue daily physical exercise keeping kids healthy both mentally and physically.”
A 2022 study by University of California researchers suggested that only about 9% of adolescents met the moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services early in the COVID-19 pandemic, with lower rates of activity among minority groups and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
“The physical benefits include not only preventing obesity that can lead to elevated blood pressure, diabetes and joint problems,” McWhirter said. “But a large amount of one’s bone density is developed during the teenage years.”
Exercising builds healthy bones to prevent osteoporosis and fractures later in life, she said. Working out also helps with anxiety and depression.
“If teenagers go together, it is a way they can stay connected with friends on summer break,” she said. “Friendships build mental resilience.”
Trainer Juwan Hope will lead multiple group classes at the Milgen Road location, said Tiana Cuevas, general manager of the Manchester Planet Fitness location. And a new fitness trainer will be coming to the Manchester location.
“We definitely encourage teens to come as a group of friends or even on their own,” Cuevas said. “Personally, I think it would be a great opportunity for them to get out in the community and meet new people around their age.”
Kids of all ages should enjoy their summer break, McWhirter said, but not being in school all day provides an opportunity to start an exercise program that can provide a daily structure in the summer.
“I encourage all kids to find physical activity that they enjoy,” she said. “It may be working out in a gym, but it might be hiking, swimming or biking or a combination of different activities.”
