Personal Trainer Insurance
Safeguard Your Fitness Routine
What is Personal Trainer Insurance?
Personal trainer insurance, aka fitness instructor insurance, is a type of collective coverage that specializes in protecting independent trainers as well as fitness businesses. Professionals working as personal trainers are vulnerable to third-party claims mostly related to bodily injuries and property damage. There is always the possibility of client injury or a client claiming you acted inappropriately given the intimate nature of the job. Not having proper protection against such risks can be costly.
According to the National Safety Council, the number one cause of injury between 2016–2019 was exercise and the use of exercise equipment. More than 468,000 injuries were reported in 2019 alone. Given the prevalence, it is easy to see how a personal trainer could be sued for injuries by their trainee.
In this article
Personal trainers can specialize and work in a variety of fields. The following are the most common types of fitness professionals:
- Athletic Trainers
- Gym Assistants
- Yoga Instructors
- Group Fitness Instructors
If you work as a gym employee, you can most likely get some coverage from your gym’s insurance policy. However, many personal trainers work freelance, and a personal trainer who conducts trainings and provides services away from a facility carries more risks.
Depending on the type of fitness business you run, your coverage must cover the related risks that you may face. Figuring out what coverage is needed for your business is the first step to take before you buy any insurance. Someone who provides one-on-one training will have different risks compared to someone who teaches group yoga classes. An insurance agent can help you determine your risks and help you find the best coverage.
Types of Personal Trainer Insurance
With that in mind, the following are some of the more popular insurances available to personal trainers and fitness professionals:
Commercial General Liability Insurance
Commercial general liability insurance (CGLI) usually covers three significant exposures that trainers face: third-party bodily injury and property damage, and reputational harm. Having a CGLI policy can save you from incurring unnecessary costs, as well as helps cover medical bills and legal fees.
Some examples of these are:
- Bodily injury: A client sprains their knee during an exercise routine taught by you. They claim that you did not correctly teach them the routine and that you’re responsible for the medical bills as a result.
- Property damage: While training a client at a studio, they accidentally drop a heavy dumbbell on the wood floor, causing damage to it. They claim it is your responsibility since you gave them a dumbbell that was above their ability.
- Reputational harm: A client sues you for false claims on products and services that you provide. For example, you claim that your workout routine is guaranteed to make a person lose weight in a given time frame. If the client does lose weight then they may sue you for false claims and fraud.
In certain cases, you can even get product liability insurance through this policy for coverage against injury claims caused by using a product. Even if the trainer or the business is not the creator of the product (for example, gym equipment, protein supplements, etc.), they can be sued for making clients use a defective product.
Professional Liability Insurance
Personal trainers are prone to facing issues that arise from errors and omissions in their services. Such issues could directly harm clients via injury and could lead to possible lawsuits.
If your client files a lawsuit against you for failing to deliver promised results or for any injuries caused by your misguided instructions, then professional liability insurance has you covered.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance provides coverage for your business’s assets and property. If you run a gym, this policy will pay to replace or repair your equipment in case of accidental damage. If you own the physical building, any damage to the building caused by covered perils is also covered. Commercial property insurance pays out for damages caused by the following perils:
- Fire
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Natural disasters such as flood, windstorm, or hail
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Get your affordable and custom-tailored personal trainer insurance policy quote for your business today.
Business Owner’s Policy
A business owner’s policy (BOP) is necessary for any personal trainer who provides services in their studio. A BOP offers combined coverage including general liability, commercial property, and business interruption insurance (BII).
For instance, your studio is damaged by an accidental fire, and you can no longer provide services to clients until the losses are indemnified. BII pays for the loss of income for a set period until your business can operate again.
Workers Compensation Insurance
Workers compensation insurance is necessary if you operate and run a gym with employees. It is mandatory in all states except Texas. This insurance policy protects your employees from:
- Emergency medical costs due to bodily injuries while working.
- Medical expenses during the recovery process.
- Lost wages while in the recovery period.
Commercial Auto Insurance
If your gym owns and operates a vehicle for business purposes, then having commercial auto insurance is important. This policy covers the costs of repairs to your vehicle in the event of an accident. Personal trainers need this insurance policy if they commute to their client’s residence or transport equipment from one location to another. Commercial auto insurance is required in all states except New Hampshire and Virginia.
Standard Exclusions in Personal Trainer Insurance
Here are some standard exclusions in personal trainer insurance:
- Location: If you train your clients in their homes, the setting may not be familiar to you, as well as the type of equipment they use. Be sure to note in your insurance application that you provide services at clients’ homes, otherwise, you may not be covered appropriately.
- Coverage for nutrition and supplements: Claims relating to the recommendation of supplements or nutrition plans are typically excluded. If you do provide dietary and nutritional advice, it would be wise to add this coverage as an endorsement. In the event that a client suffers an ailment due to your dietary recommendations and sues you for it, you’ll be covered.
- Misconduct: Working in the homes of clients and the intimate nature of the job can lead to claims of misconduct by clients. Even if there is unintentional physical contact on your part, your clients can file a lawsuit against you if they perceived it as inappropriate behavior. Regardless of the validity of their allegations, the legal expenses can be costly. Intentional acts are not covered by liability insurance; however, you may want to add an endorsement that provides sexual misconduct coverage.
How Much Does It Cost?
- Types of fitness services offered
- Types of equipment used
- Business location
- Business revenue
- Number of employees
- Previous claims history
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Get your affordable and custom-tailored personal trainer insurance policy quote for your business today.
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Nice post. I used to be checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the last phase 🙂 I deal with such info much. I used to be looking for this particular information for a very lengthy time. Thanks and best of luck.
Happy to be of help 🙂
Most personal trainer insurance packages will cover the majority of mainstream classes such as Zumba, spin, bootcamps etc. Normally the insurance company can provide you with a list of classes that your package will cover so that you can make sure that you are sticking within the remits of your policy. The more obscure the demographic or the class, the less likely it will sit within your policy and you should always check prior to engaging in that form of physical activity with a client.
Well said!
When deciding which is the best personal trainer insurance provider for your needs, you need to do your due diligence, the same as you should when buying any product or service. Check credible review platforms, where there are verified reviews from real paying customers on the likes of Trustpilot, Feefo or Review Centre . Secondly, most fitness-based roles within gyms are freelance, thus it will be your responsibility to ensure that you are fully insured to the range of what you are aiming to deliver to clients.
Thank you for your insights! We’ll make sure to include your suggestions when we update our blog 🙂
Which insurance do you recommend if you train clients out of a home you rent?
For such a case, a business owner’s policy would be a good start. Any additional policies can be added as per your business’s needs.
I am a personal trainer and would like to start training clients in their own home. What type of insurance would I need and where can I find the insurance I am looking for?
The ones mentioned in the article should suffice for your needs. However, if you need some additional suggestions please feel free to reach us here.