SCHOOL'S OUT, THE GYM IS IN: PLANET FITNESS KICKS OFF HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER PASS TODAY AND ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ACTOR, SINGER AND SONGWRITER MCKENNA GRACE

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May 16, 2022, 08:30 ET

Now through August 31, Teens Ages 14 – 19 Can Sign Up to Work Out for Free All Summer Long at Planet Fitness Locations in the U.S. & Canada

Company Collaborates with Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine to Promote Healthy Lifestyles for Teens and Families, Offers Free Digital Cookbook Upon Sign-Up

HAMPTON, N.H., May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, officially kicks off its High School Summer Pass program today. The program invites high schoolers ages 14 – 19¹ to work out this summer for free through August 31 at any of the more than 2,200 Planet Fitness locations throughout the United States and Canada. Sign up now at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass or at any Planet Fitness club. Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.

Planet Fitness officially kicks off its High School Summer Pass program today. The program invites high schoolers ages 14 – 19 to work out this summer for free through August 31 at any of the more than 2,200 Planet Fitness locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Planet Fitness is partnering with 15-year-old rising star Mckenna Grace to help promote the program and encourage teens to make fitness a part of their lives for improved physical and mental health. An actor, singer and songwriter whose last three singles have already garnered more than 19 million streams, Grace recently appeared as the lead in Sony's blockbuster hit "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and received an Emmy nomination for her role as "Mrs. Keyes" in "The Handmaid's Tale," making her the youngest-ever nominee in the Guest Actor category. Next up, Mckenna stars in "The Bad Seed Returns," a film for Lifetime that she co-wrote with her father and executive produced. Other notable film roles include "Captain Marvel," "I, Tonya" and her breakout, starring role in "Gifted" opposite Chris Evans.

"Fitness is important to me. It's helped me de-stress and keep my mind in a more positive place. Working out always makes me feel better about myself," shared Grace. "Planet Fitness' High School Summer Pass is an awesome opportunity for teens to get active this summer in a safe and welcoming environment."

THE NEED HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER

Planet Fitness' High School Summer Pass comes at a time when teens are feeling both the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic.

In fact:

According to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, less than 15 percent of teens met the daily physical activity recommendation during the pandemic²
A CDC study found that more than 40 percent of teens said they persistently felt sad or hopeless during 2021³
And according to the CDC, emergency room visits for suicide attempts in early 2021 for teens ages 12-17 increased by 31 percent compared to 2019⁴

The good news is that teens are looking to take action and get active. Planet Fitness commissioned a national study⁵ in April that revealed that teens are ready to make a positive impact on their lives, with 84 percent agreeing that there has never been a better time than now to focus on their health overall. High School Summer Pass provides all teens a safe space – a truly Judgement Free Zone® – to prioritize their mental and physical wellbeing during a season when school sports programs, gym classes and after school activities wind down.

Planet Fitness also offers free in-club fitness training for all members, including High School Summer Pass participants. In addition, Planet Fitness' certified trainers designed 15 trainer-led workout videos and 10 downloadable workouts exclusively for teens across all fitness levels, from full body and cardio-specific workouts to those focused on toning, strength and more – even agility and mobility workouts to help high school athletes stay on top of their game during the summer months. The content is available on the Planet Fitness App and at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass.

ADDED INCENTIVES TO WORK OUT ALL SUMMER LONG

To promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle for teens and families, all parents and guardians of High School Summer Pass participants will have the ability to download a free digital copy of Robert Irvine's Family Table cookbook once their teen signs up for the program. Additionally, all participants who sign up are automatically entered into The Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass Sweepstakes. Planet Fitness will award one $500 scholarship in each state (and the District of Columbia) and one grand prize $5,000 scholarship at the end of the summer⁶. These scholarships can be used for academic or athletic activities or programs.

"I'm thrilled to officially kick off the High School Summer Pass program. High school teens are facing unprecedented mental and physical health challenges, and we look forward to getting teens active by providing them with free access to fitness all summer long," said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. "We're also excited to partner with celebrity chef Robert Irvine. By offering a free digital copy of his Family Table cookbook upon sign-up, we hope to inspire both teens and their families to prioritize overall health and wellness."

This summer and all year-round, Planet Fitness' top priority continues to be keeping its members and employees safe and is the first fitness brand to receive the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The rating recognizes Planet Fitness' leadership in adopting the leading framework to ensure a safer and healthier environment for its employees and members across all of its more than 2,200 facilities.

Enhanced COVID-19 safety and sanitization protocols at its well-ventilated and spacious clubs include:

Touchless check-in via the free Planet Fitness App – available to all High School Summer Pass participants
A Crowd Meter on the Planet Fitness App that allows members to check club capacity in real-time before even leaving the house
Increased sanitization to continually clean and sanitize high-touch areas, with cleaning stations available for member use
Mask policies in accordance with local guidelines

For more information or to sign up for High School Summer Pass and gain access to any of the more than 2,200 Planet Fitness locations nationwide, visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass.

¹	Teenagers ages 14 – 19 can visit any Planet Fitness location in the United States. Teens must work out at the location they sign up at and are not permitted to use other locations. Teens under 18 must sign-up with a parent or guardian in-club or online at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass. Once the parent or guardian waiver is signed for teens under 18, teens can work out alone. Students who are already 18 do not need a parent or guardian to be present during the sign-up process.
²	Association of Children's Physical Activity and Screen Time With Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic, JAMA Network Open
³	Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey — United States, January–June 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
⁴	Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–May 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
⁵	Online survey conducted by Material to 1,012 nationally representative American teens aged 15 – 18 and their parents, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
⁶	No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., who are 14-19 years of age (with parent approval if under age of majority). Begins 12:00 am ET on 5/16/22; ends 11:59 pm ET on 8/31/22. For Official Rules, visit PlanetFitness.com/sweepstakes-rules.

About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of March 31, 2022, Planet Fitness had more than 16.2 million members and 2,291 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.