8 NEWS & NOTES Q&A
Summer challenge
HEALTHY LIVING SERIES
Granite State teens pursue fitness and scholarships
FEELING READY FOR YOUR NEW ADDITION?
For the second year, Hampton-based fitness franchise Planet Fitness held a Teen Fitness Challenge. Between May 15 and Sept. 1, more than 5,500 New Hampshire teens logged over 29,000 workouts at the state’s 18 Planet Fitness locations. The 2019 workout totals surpassed both the numbers set last year (2,500 teens and 12,000 workouts) and the challenge issued earlier in the summer by Gov. Chris Sununu, NASCAR driver Joey Lagano and Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau, the latter of whom pledged $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester if New Hampshire teens made 20,000 visits during the 2019 challenge. Becky Zirlen, senior PR manager at Planet Fitness, explains. How did Planet Fitness come up with the idea for the Teen Summer Challenge? The teen summer challenge was something that started in the summer of 2018 in the state of New Hampshire. We had some research showing us that 91 percent of teenagers want to be working out during the summer, they just don’t know how. So in the summer of 2018, we opened all 18 of our New Hampshire clubs for teenagers 15 to 18 to work out for free. We saw tremendous success in the pilot in New Hampshire, so this summer we opened our doors nationwide and in Canada ... to teens 15 to 18 to work out for free because we knew there was a need. We knew the tremendous benefits of working out, far beyond physical benefits, that these teens could start health and wellness habits early and those would lead to lifelong habits.
Were participants limited to just those fitness classes? They did not have to participate in those free fitness classes at all. If they knew exactly what they wanted to do, they could come in anytime Could you tell us more about that research? they wanted, they could come in as many times Where did that come from? a day and as many times a week as they wanted. We performed a national study of teens throughout the county and really wanted to find Why did you decide to make a contribution out what their habits were like. We know they’re to the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester a part on their smartphones, we know that they have of this challenge? access to watching TV or streaming services and The Boys & Girls Club of America is our we know that 91 percent of students want a place national philanthropic partner. So when Gov. to be working out in the summer when organized Sununu and Chris Rondeau, our CEO, chalsports are ending. That 91 percent stat was very lenged New Hampshire teens to workout 20,000 alarming to us ― they knew they wanted to be times this summer, we knew we wanted to fit and work out during the summer, but they just donate to a nonprofit. The Boys & Girls Club didn’t quite know how or have the access. We of Manchester made natural sense … [with its] provided them that opportunity. anti-bullying, pro-kindness initiative.
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HIPPO | SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2019 | PAGE 8
weren’t the student athlete, to have the opportunity to get help. So all of our clubs offered a full 30-minute workout using weights and bodyweight like jumping jacks, planks, light weight workouts and things like Becky Zerlin that. Every location had that class offered once during the day Monday through Friday so teens that weren’t quite sure what to do in the gym could have a sense of what to do in how to get into a routine.
How did you go about recruiting participants? It wasn’t necessarily recruitment. … A lot of it was through social media and word of mouth. These teens saw that their friends were coming in, they too wanted to come in and there was a great incentive in that any teen who signed up would be entered to win a scholarship.
Have you seen any noteworthy success stories in the two years you’ve held this challenge? Yes. Actually, there was a teenager in Manchester that I met last summer and he ended up joining the program and checking in something like 100 times or more. He found that working out had built his self-esteem and … it was great to see his feedback about seeing tremenWhat sort of scholarship? dous benefits like losing weight and gaining Through the Teen Summer Challenge, one confidence. teen in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., as Do you see yourselves holding this program well as the five provinces where we have locations in Canada, will be randomly selected to win again? $500. There will also be a single $5,000 prize in Yeah, we really exceeded our expectations and both the U.S. and Canada. were thrilled to see so many teens get active and fit. We heard from parents and teens throughout [There was] a special program just for the the country who were just thrilled with the proTeen Summer Challenge participants. What gram, so without a doubt we’re looking forward was that like? to next summer. We wanted these teens who, while maybe they ― Travis R. Morin