Planet Fitness offers free passes to high schoolers

Planet Fitness is bringing back its High School Summer Pass program, which invites Maryland high schoolers ages 14 to 19 to work out for free at any Planet Fitness location through Aug. 31.

High schoolers can visit planetfitness.com/ summerpass to register for the program. Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.

In its third year, High School Summer Pass offers high schoolers a way to stay active during the summer.

According to the World Health Organization, youth up to 17 years of age should get a recommended average of at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity to boost their physical and mental health.

In Maryland, 13.2 percent of teens are obese and 10.2 percent are overweight, which is another reason this initiative is so vital.

Launching during Mental Health Awareness Month, High School Summer Pass allows teens the opportunity to prioritize their mental and physical wellness goals during a critical time when school is out and academic and extracurricular programs such as sports, gym class and after-school activities are in recess.

High schoolers can take advantage of the High School Summer Pass program at Planet Fitness and gain free access to the gym during the summer.

Research also shows that students who complete the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity experienced greater academic achievement compared to those who did not.

To further motivate high schoolers to prioritize fitness, all participants who sign up are encouraged to enter the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass Contest. Planet Fitness will award five teens in the U.S. with $10,000 individual academic scholarships via a TikTok video submission contest. To enter, teens are asked to post a TikTok video tagging @planetfitness using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23US that describes their High School Summer Pass experience. The contest submission period runs through Aug. 31.

Additionally, the top five schools on the U.S. Leaderboard in each tier (as described in the rules) will each receive $10,000. These scholarships can be used to fund athletic equipment, field renovations, physical fitness classes and health and wellness initiatives.

All High School Summer Pass participants will have access to free fitness training from in-club certified trainers, free workouts designed specifically for high schoolers in the free Planet Fitness App, as well as workout plans available at planetfitness.com/ summerpass.

The local Planet Fitness is located at 1080 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Call 301-698-8110 for more information.