For the past few months, I have been consistently going to the gym because I wanted to get more active. I chose Planet Fitness as the gym that I would be going to, so I got a membership there. Planet Fitness, which was founded in 1992 in Dover, New Hampshire, has become one of the largest and fastest growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States. The main goal of theirs to enhance people’s lives by providing an affordable, high quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment. This organization is taking action with regard to corporate social responsibility, as they pursue sustainable business practices.

Providing access to fitness in underserved communities continues to be their biggest opportunity to drive health equity.  Research shows that lower-income communities experience a disproportionate rate of adverse health impacts such as heart conditions, obesity, and behavioral risk factors. With approximately 20% of their clubs located in areas of the U.S. with low income, they are committed to providing a more affordable and high-quality way to improve the physical and mental health, and overall wellbeing, of those who need it most. For more than 20 years, Planet Fitness has kept the price of the basic membership at $10 per month, consistently offering a low point of entry for the 80% of the U.S. population that doesn’t belong to a gym.

The Judgement Free Generation is Planet Fitness’ signature initiative to promote kindness and acceptance among today’s youth in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. It provides youth with access to the opportunities and tools needed to reach their potential and advance their social, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Planet Fitness launched the Judgement Free Generation scholarship program in 2017 to recognize and reward youth who are actively promoting kindness and inclusion in their communities. Since then, they have reached 180 youth with scholarships worth $5,000 each, helping to ease the financial burden of secondary education. Planet Fitness has constructed customized versions of the Judgement Free Zones for Boys & Girls Clubs across the country that meet youth where they are and provide access to safe, welcoming spaces where they can start to build healthy habits through fitness. Planet Fitness has focused their funding on supporting trauma-informed care training for staff, a 6-month, evidence-based training that equips staff to better understand the impacts trauma can have on teens’ own wellbeing as well as their relationships and interactions with others. To help extend judgement free culture, they empower local Boys & Girls Clubs to spread kindness within their own communities through Community Kindness Grants, which fund local service projects, created and executed by local youth. Planet Fitness employs strict safety protocols to safeguard team members and members while in the clubs. They uphold their standards through mandatory team member trainings on Planet Fitness University, their online training program. Health and safety requirements have been included in their Code of Ethics.

Reducing environmental footprint is vital to the business. Their strategy is led by cross-functional environmental working groups consisting of team members from their operations, construction, facilities, vendor management and corporate responsibility teams, with oversight from senior leadership. Within the operations, their biggest opportunities for reducing impact are through resource efficiency, including water and energy, as well as responsible waste management and recycling measures. Each year, they work with outside consultants to measure and report energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and waste across corporate headquarters and corporate clubs.

Practices that I would recommend for Planet Fitness to pursue are using their social media accounts and local advertising, so customers can see all the initiatives that the gym has taken to better the environment. This can help attract more members because you are being transparent about your efforts, which can build trust. It is important to build a strong relationship with customers.