Is this Silver Sneakers For Teens? Planet Fitness Offers Free Workouts

The danger here is approaching this from the point of view of a crusty old grouch. But reading the news that Planet Fitness is offering free workouts for teens for the summer does raise some eyebrows and some questions, too. It's not quite a "Silver Sneakers" for teens, but there are some similarities.

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On the positive side, it's a chance for teens to get exercise and keep fit all summer, and the offer goes from mid-May through August. It's good at all Planet Fitness locations. And there's the inducement of a free scholarship for everyone who signs up.

But the troubling question that needs to be asked is, is any of this being driven by all stories of kids not doing anything but hanging out on their phones? Planet Fitness says, for the record, this is all a part of a goal to "motivate high schoolers to make fitness a priority."

A scholarship is nice, but with college enrollment plummeting across the state and across the nation, it's hard to believe that $500 going to be a major motivator. This brings it back to the question, is this sales promotion, designed to get teens in the habit of heading to a specific gym, or ultimately, is this being driven out by a concern about the lack of physical activity in a certain age demographic that traditionally spent its summer outdoor playing (the younger ones) or messing around (the older youths).

Planet Fitness is accepting early sign-ups on its website. The only restriction appears to be you have to work out at the location that you sign up with.