CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Planet Fitness has three Coastal Bend locations, and all are inviting teens to participate in its High School Summer Pass program.
The program, which runs through Aug. 31 and is open to teens 14-19, invites students to work out at no charge all summer. Anyone under 18 is asked to sign up with a parent or guardian.
After signing up, teens will have access to the gym, equipment, and trainer classes including the “Design Your Own Program."
In a recent study, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports fewer than 15 percent of teens meet the 60-minute daily physical activity recommendation.
General manager Kristen Smullen said after doing some research among high-school students, Planet Fitness found teens are ready to make a commitment to getting healthy.
High-school sophomore Julian Brown's goals back up the research done by Planet Fitness.
He said he's been going to the gym every day to do one-hour workouts so he can do better during wrestling season.
“I run the treadmill," Julian Brown said. "I do a mile for a quick warm-up. Then, I go to the dumbbells, and then I do curls.”
Smullen said nearly 1,000 teens have signed up for the program.
“If there’s teens who already have a membership, they can still come in participate," she said. "We would just put their accounts on hold.”
Plus, the company is offering an incentive to get more teens in the gym.
“Each state will be offering a $500 scholarship," she said. "They will choose at random, and at the end of the summer there’s a $5,000 scholarship as well.”
Most teens who exercise also agree that physical fitness makes them feel healthier, stronger, and happier.
