High school students again can exercise for free this summer at Planet Fitness locations in Philadelphia.
The High School Summer Pass program is back, granting teenagers ages 14-19 free access to Planet Fitness gyms through Aug. 31. The program aims to keep students active and engaged during the summer months.
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Federal health guidelines recommend teens get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. Most of that should include aerobic activity, but they should engage in muscle-strengthening exercises at least three days a week.
In an Instagram post, Sixers guard Jared McCain, who is promoting Planet Fitness, touted the importance of the Summer Pass program and demonstrated some resistance exercises that teens can perform, including lat pull downs, tricep extensions, battle ropes and pull-ups.
Resistance training improves physical strength through the use of free weights, machined-based exercises and other training techniques. The benefits for teens include increased strength, lower rates of sports-related injuries, stronger bones, a lower risk of fractures and improved self-esteem. Resistance training also can help improve gym-goers mental health, too.
A study published last year in Trends in Molecular Medicine found resistance training helps reduce anxiety and depression, concluding that resistance training offers "significant" antidepressant effects. Also, a clinical report in Pediatrics, originally released in 2020 and reaffirmed in November, detailed the mental and physical health benefits that resistance training provides teens.
"Healthy lifestyles incorporate regular exercise that provides a balance of activities, including participating in strength-building programs," the report said. "In addition to increasing muscular strength, muscular power, and local muscular endurance, resistance training has been shown to produce many health benefits, including improvements in cardiovascular fitness, body composition, bone mineral density, blood lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity in youth who are overweight, increased resistance to injury, and mental health."
The city and School District of Philadelphia partnered with Planet Fitness ahead of the Summer Pass program.
"The Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass program is about more than fitness," Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement. "It's about creating safe spaces where our teens can stay active, reduce stress, and build lifelong healthy habits. This partnership reflects our shared belief in the power of prevention, community, and investing in the future of Philadelphia's youth."
Eligible teenagers can sign up for the High School Summer Pass program here.
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