By Erin Phelan
Fitness Industry Council of Canada
This summer removed any doubt: when we welcome young people in, they show up. Planet Fitness’ High School Summer Pass drew 3.7 million teens for 19 million workouts across the U.S. and Canada. GoodLife’s Teen Fitness Program logged nearly 500,000 workouts in eight weeks—its third straight record year.
These numbers aren’t a novelty; they’re a signal. Generation Alpha (born 2010–2024) is forming habits now. If Canadian operators design for them today—safely, credibly, and with purpose—we’ll build healthier communities and decades of loyalty.
Why lean in now
The public health case is undeniable. Only 39% of Canadian children and youth meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, and about one in three live with overweight or obesity. At the same time, mental health struggles are rising: one in five Ontario students report a diagnosed problem such as anxiety or depression, while barely a quarter meet activity guidelines. For gyms, this is both a challenge and a generational opportunity. Reaching a 12- to 16-year-old today means shaping not just healthier futures, but also securing members and families for years to come.
What Gen Alpha wants from fitness
Gen Alpha isn’t looking for a “junior version” of adult programs. They want spaces that feel welcoming, fun, and reflective of their values. That means environments that are safe and clearly designed with them in mind, programming that feels like play rather than duty, and a degree of light gamification that makes progress tangible. They’re also growing up in a wellness culture that values mental health and recovery as much as strength and sweat, so mindfulness breaks, mobility flows, and nutrition basics can be just as engaging as a circuit class. In short: what resonates is not access alone, but a sense of belonging and identity.
Lessons from GoodLife & Planet Fitness
Both GoodLife and Planet Fitness offer valuable blueprints. Their success wasn’t just about offering free access; it was about lowering multiple barriers at once. GoodLife made it simple for teens to register—even if their parents weren’t members—and extended support through digital workouts and group classes. Planet Fitness went further by branding its program as a rite of passage, pairing full gym access with teen-specific workout plans and surveys that measured impact on confidence, mood, and family conversations.
Structure was another key. GoodLife set clear limits on hours and equipment use, ensuring safety while giving teens freedom to explore. Planet Fitness leaned on its “Judgement Free Zone” ethos, which reassured both teens and parents that intimidation had no place in the gym. Both programs also provided guidance: tours, beginner sessions, and approachable trainers who built trust and confidence early.
The results speak volumes. In surveys, 93% of Planet Fitness teen participants said the program helped them build lasting habits, while 91% of parents reported more meaningful wellness conversations at home. Even more compelling, 83% of teens reported a boost in overall happiness and 90% said their mood consistently improved after working out. Those outcomes align directly with what Canadian families need most: better health, stronger connections, and improved mental well-being.
Perhaps most importantly, both chains made participation aspirational. GoodLife has turned its Teen Fitness program into a summer tradition, with alumni who return as staff or long-term members. Planet Fitness wrapped its effort in bold branding—“Strength Starts Here”—so teens could see themselves as part of something bigger than a free pass.
For Canadian operators
Clubs in Canada have a clear opportunity: create structured, supportive, and identity-building experiences. Seasonal programs like a Summer Alpha Pass can be an easy entry point, but to truly build loyalty, operators should think beyond summer. Introducing Family Passes that bundle youth and adult memberships strengthens intergenerational ties and reassures parents, while also boosting household retention. The most successful clubs will treat every youth program as a lab—tracking participation, surveying families, and refining the offer year by year.
What about insurance?
Engaging minors means a higher duty of care, and operators must be prepared. Guardian consent is always required, and waivers alone will not shield a club from negligence claims. Policies should be reviewed carefully: many standard liability packages exclude minors or supervised instruction unless specifically added. That means confirming coverage for abuse and misconduct liability, participant accident insurance, and even layering an umbrella policy for extra protection.
Insurers increasingly expect to see strong safeguarding protocols—background checks, staff training, supervised hours, and clear reporting systems. Far from being red tape, these measures build credibility with parents and communities. When clubs lead with transparency and preparedness, they not only reduce risk but also create an atmosphere of trust that fuels participation.
The opportunity for trainers
This movement isn’t just about filling gyms—it’s about reshaping careers. Trainers who specialize in youth programming can carve out niches in movement literacy, partner with schools and community sports, and broaden their skills to include nutrition and recovery coaching for younger populations. Research consistently shows that structured activity improves mood, reduces depressive symptoms, and boosts resilience in adolescents. For trainers, this is both a professional opportunity and a way to be part of the solution to Canada’s health crisis.
Why this matters for Canada’s National Fitness Strategy
For the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, Gen Alpha engagement is more than a membership tactic—it’s part of a national imperative. Our call for a Canadian National Fitness Strategy is grounded in prevention: lowering chronic disease rates, easing pressure on healthcare, and ensuring every Canadian has equitable access to movement.
Youth engagement is the cornerstone of that vision.
If only 39% of children are meeting activity guidelines, we must treat that as a crisis. Programs like GoodLife Teen Fitness and Planet Fitness’ Summer Pass prove that when barriers are removed, participation follows. Embedding this approach across Canadian clubs—through school partnerships, community collaborations, and policy alignment—would not only transform business outcomes, it would change the health trajectory of a generation.
The call to action
If we believe in prevention, belonging, and the power of trained professionals, Gen Alpha is not a side project—it’s the strategy. Clubs that move first—by offering family-centered memberships, embedding safeguarding protocols, and investing in youth-specific programming—won’t just fill their facilities.
They’ll help Canada’s next generation become the healthiest one yet.
Sidebar: Key Stats
- 7M teens / 19M workouts — Planet Fitness Summer Pass
- ~500,000 teen workouts in 8 weeks — GoodLife Teen Fitness
- 39% of Canadian youth meet activity guidelines
- ~32% live with overweight or obesity
- 1 in 5 report a diagnosed mental-health problem
Operator Checklist: Engaging Gen Alpha
Do:
✔ Pilot youth passes (summer or after-school) with clear boundaries.
✔ Offer Family Passes to lock in intergenerational loyalty.
✔ Provide orientation, trainer support, and beginner-friendly programming.
✔ Train staff in youth safety; run background checks.
✔ Confirm insurance covers minors, instruction, and abuse liability.
Don’t:
✘ Treat youth as “mini adults”—dedicate spaces and design experiences.
✘ Assume waivers alone protect you—minors require extra duty of care.
✘ Overlook parents—earning their trust is the gateway to participation.
✘ Launch without data—track usage, incidents, and feedback every cycle.
Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) is the not-for profit trade association that represents the voice of fitness facility operators across Canada. Representing more than 6,000 facilities with more than six-million members nationwide, FIC pursues a legislative agenda in the hope of bettering the fitness industry for both consumers and operators. FIC aims to work with both industry and government to improve the health and physical activity levels of Canadians.
