Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the Unites States and home of the Judgement Free Zone®, invites high school teenagers ages 15 to 18* to work out for free at its Washington, D.C.area clubs from May 15 through Sept. 1 as part of its nationwide Teen Summer Challenge initiative. Free fitness classes specifically for teenagers will also be available Monday through Friday via certified fitness trainers.

Additionally, all teens who sign up beginning May 15 are automatically entered into Planet Fitness’ Scholarship Sweepstakes. By the end of summer, 51 lucky teens across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will be randomly selected to receive a $500 scholarship, and one teen will receive a $5,000 grand prize**. Teens will also have the chance to win exciting prizes on Planet Fitness’Twitter and Instagram channels throughout the summer, such as club swag, movie tickets and wireless headphones.***

To sign up, visit any of the following Washington, D.C.area Planet Fitness locations: Gaithersburg, Germantown, Laurel, Rockville, Spring Spring, Silver Spring South, Clinton, Fort Washington, Oxon Hill, District Heights, Seat Pleasant, Bowie, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Landover, California, Waldorf, Ivy City and Penn Hill. Teens under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at sign-up.

A FOCUS ON TEEN HEALTH The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recently released new physical activity guidelines****, which revealed that 80 percent of Americans do not currently meet the recommended amount of physical activity.The guidelines also challenge youth(ages 6 to 17) to pursue a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day.

In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, 64.8 percent of high school students in Maryland do not currently meet the 60-minute daily activity threshold on at least five or more days per week. More so, 15.2 percent of high school students in Maryland are classified as overweight, while 12.6 percent are considered obese.

Planet Fitness’ Teen Summer Challenge offers a solution for teenagers eager for an opportunity to stay active during the summer when school sports programs, gym classes or after school activities wind down. It builds on a successful local program first launched last summer in New Hampshire, Planet Fitness’ home state.

In addition to opening its doors to all teens ages 15 to 18 all summer long, Planet Fitness also offers extremely low prices and a variety of benefits, including a hassle-free environment, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions and much more.

“Teens today are feeling the pressure everywhere they turn, which is one of the many reasons why we wanted to offer them an outlet in Baltimore to get their sweat on this summer in a healthy way,” said Victor Brick, CEO PF Growth Partners, LLC and Franchisee. “With so many of our local youth not meeting the minimum recommended requirements for physical activity, we want nothing more than to welcome teens with open arms this summer to work out in a non-intimidating, hassle-free, welcoming environment.”

For more information on the Teen Summer Challenge, including how to sign up for the free membership, visit PlanetFitness.com/TeenSummerChallenge.

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 December 31, 2018, Planet Fitness had more than 12.5 million members and 1,742 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Mexico. 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 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.