Why All Fitness Trainers Must be Covered Under a Business Insurance Policy
As a professional fitness trainer, we assume that you are operating under a legally licensed business. This means that your business is registered in your state, you have a federal EIN number, and you pay your taxes as required by law. As long as you have your business paperwork straight, you’ll be able to apply for at least some basic business insurance coverage that will help take care of you if the unexpected happens.
Insurance is often one of the most overlooked aspects of starting a new business. However, it’s a critical part of having a business as it can save you big money on unexpected financial expenses! Here’s why we believe that all fitness trainers (and every other type of business for that matter) should, at least, have general liability insurance.
For the most part, fitness training is safe. As long as the instructor knows what they’re doing and their student (or students) are following instructions, the chances of injury or misfortunate are relatively low. However, accidents can always happen. If and when an accident does happen, your business liability insurance can save your business and its reputation.
Let’s just say, for example, that your student’s hand slips and they drop a heavy dumbbell on their toe, injuring their foot in your studio. Some people would use this injury as an opportunity to try to sue you or your company and try to get money to pay for their medical bills.
Without insurance, you could be facing a tough (and expensive) legal battle. However, with fitness instructor liability insurance, you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Your insurance policy would pay for any legal fees associated with the incident, and if your business was found to be “at fault,” then your insurance would pay for any associated medical bills from the case.
This is just one particular instance of how things can go wrong. As a business, you could be blamed or charged for a number of different things, such as:
Muscular/tendon injuries sustained during exercise (medical bills, compensation for student being unable to work, etc.).
Damage to personal property (for example, the student is exercising, breaks their phone, and decides to blame you).
Your gym equipment malfunctions and injures a student.
...and more.
Maintaining a reliable personal trainer insurance policy is crucial if you want avoid any unnecessary legal headaches down the road. Obviously, in a perfect world, you’ll never have to actually use your insurance coverage. Many trainers and fitness instructors are able to go through their entire careers without facing a single problem or falling victim to legal charges.
However, all it takes is that one time to make or break you. Given this, the small monthly premium you’ll pay in personal trainer liability insurance costs is well worth the trouble it can save you!
Fitness Instructor Insurance Requirements
So, what exactly are the insurance requirements for a fitness instructor? Although most state governments don’t explicitly require trainers to maintain insurance, it’s a smart idea to have it. Additionally, if you’re providing your services inside of a gym or studio, then the gym’s owner may require you to show proof of insurance, so make sure that no blame falls on them.
For the most part, fitness instructor insurance is straightforward. Most trainers maintain a general liability policy. These policies provide protection against medical/injury claims (like we discussed above) and may also be able to provide you with compensation for lost income if your business closes down due to causes like severe weather or re-emergence of a dangerous virus.
In addition, many trainers also opt to purchase a professional liability policy as well. This covers clerical and professional errors that you could encounter, such as:
The client claims that you over-billed them.
The client claims they’re unsatisfied with their results.
The client tries to unjustly slander you or your business.
Professional liability is designed to protect you from actual and alleged accusations. Whether it’s a simple paperwork error or a more direct accusation of wrongdoing, this type of insurance will pay for legal defense fees and other costs that come up while dealing with these charges.
Should you decide that you would like both of these coverages, then you may be able to ask your provider for a comprehensive policy that includes both of these types of insurance. Mostly these are included in a Business Owners' Policy, aka BOP. You may even get a discount for bundling the two business insurance types together!
Different Types of Group Exercise Instructor Insurance
These are the most common types of fitness trainers who should consider purchasing an insurance policy.
Zumba instructor insurance (or Zumba liability insurance).
Spin instructor insurance.
Gym instructor insurance.
Aerobic instructor insurance.
Sports trainer insurance.
Group fitness instructor insurance (teaching general group fitness).
Online fitness coach insurance / Online personal trainer insurance
Pilates instructor insurance / Pilates teacher insurance.
Fitness Training Insurance F.A.Q's
Before we get into reviewing the best personal trainer insurance companies and policies, we’re going to take a minute to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that policyholders are asking regarding fitness training insurance.
How Much Does Personal Trainer Insurance Cost?
Generally speaking, fitness trainer insurance costs are quite affordable. Of course, quotes will vary from one location to another and depend on how much coverage you need. However, many personal and group fitness instructors are able to get low monthly premiums anywhere between $10/month and $50/month! That’s a small price to pay for the thousands that it could save you down the road.
Do I Need Personal Trainer Business Insurance?
Most states don’t have a law that requires personal trainers to have business liability insurance. However, the gym you train in or the shopping center where you rent a training space may require you to show proof of insurance before they allow you to start training on their property. Additionally, having insurance provides your clients with a sense of security and makes you look more professional. This, in turn, can get you more clients.
What is Professional Indemnity Insurance for Trainers?
Professional indemnity insurance provides you with protection if a client ever claims that your services “don’t work.” As you can imagine, these claims are common in the health and fitness industry. When it comes to fitness, results can vary significantly from one individual to another. Some clients will achieve great results, while others don’t put in the necessary work. This type of coverage is usually included under the professional liability insurance we discussed above.
Public Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers vs General Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers
If you’ve been shopping around for different personal trainer insurance policies, then you’ve likely come across these two terms. They sound very similar to each other, so many people end up confusing them with one another. However, they do differ slightly in terms of the type of coverage they provide.
Public liability insurance provides protection for business owners from claims of injury or property damage made by customers and third-party individuals. General liability insurance, on the other hand, provides public liability and additional coverage for things like:
