Teens can get fit for free this summer

Canadian kids may be enjoying their summer breaks, but for many, the end of the school year also means a break from phys ed and extra-curricular sports. And that’s a problem: 93 percent of children and youth are already not meeting Canada’s physical activity guidelines, which is contributing to the fact that an alarming 26 percent of kids and teens are overweight. That’s why GoodLife Fitness is offering youth free fitness all summer long.

For the sixth consecutive year, the GoodLife Teen Fitness Program is offering 12- to 17-year-olds across Canada the chance to use GoodLife gyms and take fitness classes for free. The program draws more than 60,000 youth each year, and the hope is that it will help train the next generation of Canadians to live a healthy lifestyle. “We know the importance of starting healthy habits at a young age,” says GoodLife CEO David Patchell-Evans.

When kids sign up, they’re taught how to use all the gym equipment, then they’re given access, from July 2 to Sept. 6, to go to the club anytime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“They come back year after year, and many of them become future members because they’ve developed healthy, fit lifestyles in the process,” says Maureen Hagan, GoodLife vice-president of Program Innovation and Fitness Development. “Most of them, unless they’ve been on teams at school, don’t understand their bodies. They move like they’re learning how to walk. But by the end of summer, their whole persona changes. They get more confident, they look happier and it’s so remarkable to watch.”

Want to help your teen get moving this summer? Go to teenfitness.ca to register. And get advice from Hayley Wickenheiser about how to instill a love of sport in your kids.

(Photography: Courtesy GoodLife Fitness)