Planet Fitness, Boys & Girls Club Open First ‘Judgment Free’ Gym

Planet Fitness cemented its Judgement Free Generation campaign in its home state of New Hampshire last week where the health club chain opened its first-ever gym inside a Boys & Girls Club.

The miniature gym—a single room dubbed the “Judgement Free Zone”—opened Sept. 6 in a surprise ceremony at the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, according to a statement from Planet Fitness. The space includes a treadmill, elliptical and free weights. The walls in the room are painted the chain’s signature purple and yellow walls and are adorned in encouraging phrases, such as “You Belong!” The club will serve a community of 1,700 children and teens just over 40 miles from where Planet Fitness was founded in Newington, New Hampshire, in 1992.

The opening is part of Planet Fitness’ Judgement Free Generation campaign, a $1.3 million philanthropic partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and STOMP Out Bullying, aimed at promoting safe, judgment-free environments. It will be the first of several Judgement Free Zones that will eventually open inside Boys & Girls Clubs, according to the release.

“With nearly one in five teens reporting that they’ve been bullied, and Boys & Girls Club’s desire to teach their kids and teens the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, both physically and emotionally, we are excited to give kids the opportunity to get active in a non-intimidating, safe environment and empower them to be kind and accepting of one another,” said Jessica Correa, Planet Fitness’ senior vice president of marketing.

In addition to deterring bullying, the Judgement Free Zone will provide local kids an affordable gym option. General memberships at the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester are a $25 one-time annual fee compared to the more than $100 that a yearlong membership at most Planet Fitness gyms costs. According to the Manchester club’s 2015 report, 38 percent of members come from families with annual incomes under $22,800.