fitness instructor insurance:
Everything You Need To Know in 2022
Whether you are working in a large chain gym, a boutique/niche gym or as a freelance fitness professional, purchasing a personal training insurance policy supports and protects your career wherever you go.
Liability Insurance provides peace of mind and assurance no matter where your career takes you as an health and wellness professional.
A little insurance knowledge can empower you as a fitness pro to make the right decision when it comes to researching and purchasing a professional and general liability insurance policy.
Below is a complete breakdown of everything you need to know before purchasing a personal training insurance policy in 2022.
What Is Professional Liability Insurance?
Professional Liability Insurance is a form of risk management in which the insured fitness professional can be protected and relieved of the financial responsibility of a potential loss.
What does that mean?
It is designed to protect fitness professionals from claims arising outside of their direct professional skills.
"According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are approximately 460,000 reported fitness injuries a year."
WHY DO FITNESS-PROFESSIONALS NEED LIABILITY INSURANCE?
In any industry, accidents are inevitable and unpredictable.
The average claim in the fitness industry is $5,500. Without insurance, this cost would come 100% out of your own pocket.
By carrying professional liability insurance, you can transfer the risk of monetary loss to your insurance provider. You no longer have to carry the emotional stress of figuring out how you’re going to pay a claim or defend yourself during the investigation period.
It only takes a single lawsuit or claim to bankrupt you. We live in a litigious society.
You are a professional with specialized training and certification. Though you may not be ultimately responsible for an injury or damages, your role makes you a target.
Even baseless claims require you to defend yourself. Legal defense can be costly.
What Are The Types Of Liability Insurance?
GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE: Protects against claims of bodily injury and property damage.
Scenario: A client slips on water as she gets up from bench-pressing. Whether she says something at the time of the incident or not, a week later she files a claim for a slip-and-fall injury.
Other Scenarios Of General Liability Claims:
- A client has a skin reaction to the chalk powder before lifting weights.
- A Pilates client trips on some equipment during a session with you as the instructor.
- A client falls off the spin bike, during an intense class with you as the spin instructor.
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE: Covers claims filed by clients claiming to suffer injury caused by negligence of the professional.
Scenario: During a training session, a client pulls a muscle due to being over-exerted.
Other Scenarios Of Professional Liability Claims:
- A client has a heat stroke, due to working out in extreme conditions, with you as the trainer.
- A personal trainer client injures themselves due to lighting weights that were too heavy for them.
What Is The Difference Between Occurrence Form And Claims Made Coverage?
This is an important part of selecting fitness insurance of which many professionals overlook before purchasing.
It is not always clear which option to choose when selecting insurance, and some companies hide their policy details. We're here to clear the confusion when it comes to occurrence form vs. claims-made policies.
OCCURRENCE FORM: Coverage includes any claim filed even after your policy expires, as long as the incident in question took place while your policy was active.
CLAIMS-MADE: Coverage does not include claims filed after your policy is expired. Only covers policyholders for claims filed while the policy is active.
How Much Should I Be Paying For fitness Insurance?
Professional fitness insurance will vary on the master policy and benefits. The price can range from $129-$249+ based on factors such as—claims made vs. occurrence form policy, coverage for equipment and additional member fees.
Pro Tip: Always ask your insurance provider if you will be covered for claims filed after your policy has expired. Clients can file a claim up to two years after the incident!
what fitness programs and training types are covered?
While every company covers different practices and modalities, Insure Fitness Group is proud to cover more than 150+ different workouts and training programs.
We offer top-rated coverage for: 20/20/20, Aerobics, Aqua Fit Check out our chart to the right for a sample of some of the fitness programs your policy automatically includes coverage for.
And if you don’t find your style or technique listed here, call us at 800-379-7799 and we’ll let you know if we can cover you!