Planet Fitness Offering Free Workouts For RI High School Students

RHODE ISLAND — Rhode Island parents, are you looking for a way to help keep your teens in shape this summer?

Planet Fitness re-launched its High School Summer Pass program for students aged 14 to 19. This means high school age kids across the United States and Rhode Island can work out for free between May 16 and Aug. 31.

The program was originally launched in 2019 as the Teen Summer Challenge — an effort to get young people to exercise more, which saw about 900,000 teenagers sign up to participate.

The company is also offering a $5,000 scholarship and $500 scholarship for each state at the end of the summer. The scholarships can be used for either academic or athletic activities or programs.

“As the leader in fitness, we believe we have a responsibility to provide a welcoming, safe, and Judgement Free environment for high school students to improve their physical and mental wellness, particularly given the challenges they have and continue to face in the wake of the pandemic,” Chris Rondeau, the chief executive officer of Planet Fitness, said. “Fitness is about feeling good, too, and our hope is that High School Summer Pass empowers teens to create life-long workout habits to help them succeed in every aspect of their lives.”

Rondeau said a recent company study found that 92 percent of high school students agreed that when they were regularly physically active, they felt much better, mentally.

Planet Fitness has 18 gyms in Rhode Island including in the following communities: Warwick, Cranston, Providence, Coventry, East Providence, North Kingstown, Johnston, Pawtucket, North Providence, Smithfield, Cumberland, Middletown, North Smithfield, Woonsocket and Wakefield.

Students who are 18 or 19 can sign up on their own at this link. Students 14 to 17 must register with a parent at their local location or online.