Planet Fitness offers a variety of different services designed to help guests look and feel their best.
Tanning is one of these services.
Most Planet Fitness facilities have a few different tanning bed options that range from lie-down tanning beds to stand-up spray-tan tents.
Guests who are members of Planet Fitness and have the additional Black Card membership can enjoy these tanning services and tan as often as they choose.
Planet Fitness does warn guests to avoid excessive tanning to reduce their risk of skin cancer and other health problems related to indoor tanning.
How Often Can You Tan At Planet Fitness?
You can tan at Planet Fitness once a day for up to 15 minutes each time.
Planet Fitness has signs around the tanning area that warns of the risk of indoor tanning and suggests that users limit their tanning sessions to three times a week.
You must purchase a Black Card membership if you want to take advantage of the Unlimited Tanning service.
This card must be purchased alongside your regular Planet Fitness membership and costs an extra fee.
The Black Card is typically around $23 a month, but it can vary slightly by location.
Guests who tan at Planet Fitness are encouraged to bring their own eye protection or use the free eye protection provided by the gym.
Staff members have recently received better training to help them assist Black Card members who want to take advantage of the Unlimited Tanning option but also want to stay safe while tanning.
Why Isn’t Planet Fitness Tanning Unlimited Any Longer?
Planet Fitness still offers Unlimited Tanning, but the policy about this service has changed.
Unlimited tanning was once much more unlimited than it is now.
The tanning beds did not have timers, or the timers could be manually adjusted by guests and staff to allow guests to tan as long as they wanted.
Guests could also tan multiple times a day if desired.
The new policy only allows guests to enjoy one tanning session per day, and each session is limited to 15 minutes maximum.
These changes took effect in 2015 after the Attorney General for the State of New York ordered Planet Fitness to stop marketing their tanning services as “healthy” and required the gyms to enact better tanning restrictions to protect the health of the guests.
The Black Card that offers free tanning is still offered at most locations, but the tanning service has been altered slightly to ensure guests understand the dangers of regular tanning and are not tanning excessively.
Does Planet Fitness Offer Unlimited Tanning With A Black Card?
Planet Fitness does still offer Unlimited Tanning with a Black Card, but the terms of this service have changed recently.
Planet Fitness does limit the amount of tanning a person can do per session.
Timers are available on all beds, and safety goggles are either supplied or suggested.
While Black Card holders can still tan anytime they want and on as many days as they want.
The new tanning policy, however, only allows members to tan for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Planet Fitness also now has warnings located around the tanning area, and staff members have received more training and are required to be more attentive to the needs of guests who are tanning.
Planet Fitness no longer promotes its tanning services, but it does still offer them with the Black Card membership.
How Long Should You Stay In A Tanning Bed?
The right amount of time to stay in a tanning bed can vary from person to person.
For people who have very light skin and no base tan, it’s best to limit yourself to sessions of less than five minutes for the first few weeks of tanning.
It can take some time to build up your base tan, but this is the best way to ensure you don’t burn in the process.
Once you have developed a base tan, you can stay in for longer periods.
Planet Fitness has a limit of 15 minutes for their beds, and this is also the recommended max time for any tanning bed.
You may find other salons that allow you to stay in a bed longer, but the longer you are in a tanning bed per session, the higher your risk for sunburn and skin damage.
Does Planet Fitness Have Timers on Their Beds?
There are timers on the tanning beds at Planet Fitness.
Much like any other type of tanning bed, you can set this timer, or the staff will set it for you.
In most cases, the timers are automatic and will vary based on the type of bed you choose to use.
The timer will begin counting down as soon as the bed turns on, and the bed will turn off when the timer reaches 0.
A staff member at Planet Fitness can help you locate the timer on a tanning bed and set it if necessary.
Will The Staff At Planet Fitness Limit Your Tanning Sessions?
At one time, Planet Fitness had no limit to the amount of tanning that guests could enjoy.
Many people were taking advantage of the Unlimited Tanning option and would spend a lot of time inside the tanning beds.
The New York Attorney General’s office cracked down on unlimited tanning and found that it was dangerous to allow members of the gym to tan as much or as often as they wanted.
Planet Fitness agreed to train its employees to monitor the tanning beds to ensure that members were not tanning too often or too long.
Still, not all locations follow this agreement, and some are severely understaffed and unable to monitor the beds at all.
While there’s a chance that Planet Fitness staff members could limit your tanning time or even monitor your tanning sessions, it may not always be the case, and you will have to use your own judgment to ensure you are not tanning more often than you should.
What Are The Risks Of Tanning At Planet Fitness?
Anytime you tan, you take the risk of damaging your body.
UV rays are responsible for giving your skin that gorgeous brown color, but they can also damage the skin as it tans.
If you are going to tan at Planet Fitness, it’s important to know the risks associated with it.
1. Sunburn
Sunburn can occur anytime you spend too much time outside in the sun or are exposed to other UV rays.
Since Planet Fitness tanning beds use UV rays for tanning the skin, there is always a chance that you could get sunburnt when you use one.
If you stay in the tanning bed too long or if you start tanning without a base tan, your skin may absorb the rays and turn red.
You can avoid getting a sunburn by wearing sunscreen when you tan and limiting your tanning time to just ten minutes.
You can then start to add more time to your tanning session once you have established a base tan.
2. Sun Damage
Sun damage can occur after just a few minutes of exposure to UV rays.
You don’t only get sun damage from being outside in the sun.
You can get it from a tanning bed as well.
Sun damage can occur with a sunburn or on its own.
It can sometimes be hard to notice, and it can take some time to show up.
Sun damage can appear as brown spots, white spots, discoloration on the skin, peeling skin, and wrinkles or age spots.
Sun damage gets worse the more you expose your sun to UV Rays, and it’s not reversible.
3. Premature Aging
Exposure to UV rays has been found to cause premature aging and to make skin look older and less vibrant.
The UV rays penetrate deep into the skin, where they can break down collagen and lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
UV rays and frequent tanning can also cause your skin to dehydrate and become dry, which makes it more prone to laugh lines, crow’s feet, under-eye bags, and loss of elasticity.
Premature aging can show up with time, and if you already have some signs of aging, frequent tanning and exposure to UV rays can make it worse.
4. Skin Cancer
Tanning and exposure to UV rays are two of the leading causes of skin cancer.
Skin cancer can be dangerous, and if it is not caught early enough, it can spread to other areas of the body.
Melanoma and non-melanoma are the two types of skin cancer, with melanoma being the most dangerous.
Both occur when skin cells are damaged and are no longer able to fight off aggressive cancer cells.
Skin cancer can be treated, but it can cover large areas of the body and can return with more sun or UV exposure.
5. Immune System Suppression
UV exposure can cause the body’s immune system to become weak and prevent it from fighting off illnesses.
This can lead to skin infections and viruses.
People who are exposed to UV rays often may find that they get a lot of cold sores as the herpes virus can affect the body more easily when the immune system is suppressed.
Many people who have suffered a bad sunburn also get flu-like symptoms a short time later.
This is because the UV rays have such an effect on the immune system that they can make a person more susceptible to common viruses and infections.
6. Eye Damage
Tanning beds can be very harmful to the eyes.
Even though you may not lie with your eyes open while you tan, there’s always a chance you can open them and expose them to UV rays.
The sun can burn your eyes, and frequent exposure can lead to cataracts and even increase the risk of macular degeneration.
Even opening your eyes in a room where there is a tanning bed can allow UV rays to penetrate the eyes and cause damage.
If you tan at Planet Fitness or any other tanning facility, it’s important to wear protective goggles to ensure your eyes are safe.
If tanning outside or spending time outside on a sunny day, wear sunglasses.
Is It Possible To Tan Safely At Planet Fitness?
There are many warnings about the use of tanning beds and how harmful they can be to the body.
Many experts argue that it is impossible to tan safely.
If you are going to tan at Planet Fitness, there are some things you can do to ensure you are being as safe as possible.
1. Sanitation
Planet Fitness tanning beds sometimes get a bad rap because they aren’t cleaned properly.
Very few Planet Fitness facilities have a dedicated tanning bed staff who clean the beds thoroughly between each use.
Not only is it unhygienic to tan in a tanning bed that hasn’t been disinfected, but it can also be dangerous.
Tanning beds can harbor a lot of bacteria and viruses that can infect the skin and lead to serious illness.
Even if you think the tanning bed you are going to use has been thoroughly cleaned, be sure to wipe it down to be safe.
2. Sunscreen
One of the ways you can stay safe while tanning is to use sunscreen.
While this can make it take longer to get a dark tan, it will allow you to develop your tan without the risk of getting a sunburn.
Some tanning oils have sunscreen and bronzers in them that make it possible to protect the skin and get a dark tan.
You can also wear less sunscreen as you develop a base tan and are certain your skin won’t burn in the tanning bed.
3. Watch Your Time
Many people make the mistake of staying in the tanning bed too long the first few times.
If you do not have any type of tan or if your skin is extremely fair, you will need to limit the time you spend in the tanning bed until you develop a base tan.
Be sure to tan no longer than 10 minutes for the first few sessions.
Once you have started to develop a tan, you can increase the time you spend in the tanning bed.
Never tan for longer than 20 minutes per session.
4. Hydrate
Dehydration is a common danger associated with tanning.
When you are relaxing in a tanning bed, you may not notice that you are getting dehydrated.
Tanning makes you sweat, which pulls moisture from the body.
If you don’t replace this moisture, it can lead to dehydration and many health problems.
Drink plenty of water before and after you tan, and be sure to apply lotion or moisturizer to keep your skin from drying out.
5. Eye Protection
Always be sure to protect your eyes when tanning.
You can bring your own goggles or sunglasses to Planet Fitness and wear them when you are tanning.
This will ensure your eyes are not exposed to harmful UV rays and will reduce your chances of developing cataracts or other eye conditions that can be painful and cause loss of vision.