Yoga instructors, personal trainers, and Zumba coordinators are all in the business of helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle. A job in the fitness industry may seem exciting, but it also comes with its own unique set of risks.

For example, students might slip and injure themselves in an outdoor Zumba class. In this case, you, as the instructor, could be liable for their bodily injuries and property damage.

Without the proper insurance, you might be liable to legal fees and damage award costs — usually in the tens of thousands. But the right business insurance plan can pay for these fees and ensure you don’t pay them out-of-pocket.

This article explains the types of insurance personal trainers and fitness professionals need as small business owners. It further answers when insurance may be mandatory and how much liability coverage and other policies might cost.

What insurance do I need as a personal trainer or fitness professional?

Fitness professionals generally require three types of insurance to mitigate their business risks: professional liability insurance, general liability insurance, and contents coverage.

1. Professional liability insurance

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance, covers the cost of lawsuits that arise due to negligent, misrepresented, or poor provisions of services.

Suppose you’re training a client in his mid-50s. His goals include gaining strength and lifting heavy. In a particular session, you push him beyond his capabilities, and he injures himself. This injury forces him to take time off from work and results in severe distress.

In this instance, he might have the right to sue you for damages. You could be liable for lost wages, pain and suffering, and his legal fees because you negligently pushed him beyond his capabilities and manufactured a severe injury.

However, professional liability insurance means your insurance company is here to cover the financial fall out of these situations. Your insurer can cover the cost of legal fees and subsequent damage awards.

2. General liability insurance

General liability insurance also covers costs related to lawsuits. However, it covers legal claims that arise from day-to-day risks pertaining to bodily injury and property damage.

A risk covered by general liability insurance may arise in the scenario mentioned in the beginning. Suppose you hold an outdoor fitness class. It rained earlier that day, and the grass was a bit slippery. During one of the routines, a student slips and hits their head on the adjacent pavement.

In this situation, the injured student may have the right to sue because you owed them a duty of care. By not realizing that the wet grass was a hazard to your class, you failed to maintain that duty of care. As a result, you may be legally liable for the individual’s bodily injuries.

3. Contents Insurance

Contents coverage protects your assets from theft or damage. It can compensate for the replacement value of your business property if it becomes lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed. It covers items like training and workout equipment, speakers, laptops, and phones.

So suppose you’re at a coffee shop designing a new training program for a client. If you look away for a moment and someone runs off with your laptop, you might have just lost $1,500. But contents insurance can cover such a theft, provide the replacement value of your stolen laptop, and ensure you’re not paying for a new one out-of-pocket.

Do you need to be insured to be a personal trainer?

The right business insurance plan is vital to any personal training or fitness instruction business. It provides peace of mind that you won’t face a significant financial fallout if you’re sued or if your items are stolen or destroyed.

Business insurance is usually mandatory if you apply to a gym as a contractor. Gyms want assurance that if a client is injured in your care, you have the financial backing to pay the costs affiliated with a potential legal claim. Otherwise, the injured person may try to sue the gym, who has more money to pay for damage award costs.
This is similarly applicable to group fitness instructors accessing outdoor class permits or renting event or gym spaces. The permit administrators or facilities managers prefer someone who has the proper liability insurance ready.

In either of these situations, the gym or event/workout space will usually request a certificate of insurance.

How much do personal trainers pay for insurance?

Personal trainer insurance costs depend on your deductible (the cost to make a claim), the amount of coverage you require, the number of policies you need, and other factors. A lower deductible and higher coverage amount will cost more than a higher deductible and lower coverage amount.

Get a quote and buy your insurance online in under five minutes with NEXUS.