Regular physical activity improves your overall physical health and boosts your immune system and muscular endurance. Encouraging regular physical activity in preteens may help improve their endurance, and memory and maintain a healthy weight. Exercise may happen through daily activities such as chores including cleaning, making your bed every morning, sweeping and dusting, etc. Keep reading to know more about Does Planet Fitness Allow 12-Year-Olds?
Planet Fitness’s rules and regulations demand that a parent or legal guardian accompany children under 13 years. Children under 13 are NOT allowed access to any platinum or JustGym clubs.
Here are a few things to consider when taking your 12-year-olds allow Planet Fitness facilities:
| ALLOWED: | NOT ALLOWED: |
| To make use of the swimming pool and equipment that stimulates cardiovascular activity EXCLUDING treadmills, sun beds, and vibration plates. | May NOT join nor participate in any adult group classes. |
| May NOT use the sauna/steam room/spa bath. | |
| Treadmills, sun beds, and vibration plates. |
So yes, 12-year-olds are allowed at Planet Fitness.
Why should children under 12 be encouraged to exercise at a gym?
It is vital to have a healthy relationship with one’s body and even more important to teach children that exercise is essential to maintain health and well-being. The earlier you introduce exercise to children, the easier it will become for them to grasp the idea of exercising as a way of taking care of themselves and not a punishment.
General manager of health and fitness at YMCA Greater Toronto Beth Morgan, says that there is a variation in emotional maturity and physical attributes among adolescents.
Therefore, it is important to consider the age, physical strength, and emotional limitations of the target audience when you devise a workout program. Especially for children of that age, the key takeaway from such programs should be that gym is fun.
Children should never feel as if the only reason adults go to the gym anyway, is to burn off fat from last night’s pizza or because they feel ugly being a size 40.
Hence most gyms such as Planet Fitness require that children with little emotional maturity, be accompanied by parents for emotional support and mental stimulation.
Things to consider when taking your preteen/child to the gym:
Treadmills
It is advised that children use treadmills under the strict supervision of a parent or legal guardian. Children might see an adult workout on a treadmill and attempt to mimic the exercise or movements by operating the machine on their own.
This can be extremely dangerous and under worse case scenarios, may even lead to serious injuries or fatalities.
A safer alternative is a non-motorized treadmill that is specifically designed for children and doesn’t put as much pressure on them as the motorized treadmill does on adults.
It is safe for younger children as it stimulates a motorized treadmill, the only difference is that it’s propelled simply by walking on it. This minimizes many risks of using a motorized treadmill like falling off, tripping, etc.
Sauna’s/Steam Rooms
Children cannot regulate their body temperatures the way adults can. Therefore it is advised by Nordic Energy that you wait for your child to be at least over 8 years old BUT very important to remain alert and supervisory and only do a 15-20 minute session at a time.
Gyms like Planet Fitness do not allow children under 12 as per their regulations. It may be to avoid incidents where children overheat due to their adolescent bodies not being able to regulate their body temperatures.
Group Classes
There is a reason why adults are called adults and why children are called children.
A 12-year-old for example, cannot keep up with a 24year old. In the same breath, a 24year old may not be able to do cartwheels the way a 12-year-old child may be able to. Physical and emotional maturity levels are not to be overlooked.
A child may not be able to mentally cope with an adult group class, because they have not fully developed yet. It’s also better to be surrounded by your peers or people close to your age range when doing a group activity.
That way, mental and physical stimulation remains encouraging rather than comparative for an adolescent child.
Cardiovascular Exercises
As mentioned earlier, it is important to consider the age and physical capabilities of a child before you may enroll them in a high cardiovascular workout program. This kind of exercise may even reduce illnesses such as diabetes, heart attacks, etc.
However, too much of something good is ultimately dangerous. Highly stimulating an adolescent’s heart may result in the disinterest of the child.
It is important to understand how much cardio activity your child’s body can tolerate before enrolling them in any kind of program or gym membership.
Conclusion
It is perfectly safe to bring your child to a gym and encourage them to move their bodies. As long as their parent or guardian abides by Planet Fitness’s rules and regulations and keeps a strict eye on the child, there is no harm to be done.
