Cover Your Assets! Why You Need Personal Training Insurance Now

Every personal trainer needs personal training insurance. As a personal trainer, it’s the business-savvy thing to do. Besides, it’s usually required by most gyms and fitness studios anyway.

Insurance Means Protection

Liability insurance exists to offset and mitigate certain financial risks.  This is the main reason why car insurance, life insurance, disaster insurance and, yes, even insurance policies for personal trainers exist. All too often these days, you hear about someone being sued for one reason or another.  There are so many things in life that you just can’t plan for.  Insurance offers a level of reassurance that your business and personal assets won’t be totally destroyed by some unforeseen accident or event. Even if you’re the world’s most experienced personal trainer, not having insurance or adequate coverage can ruin your entire business. Without insurance, you’re at risk of being held liable if your client injures themselves or damages any property while training with you. In one case involving a personal trainer and client, the client sued her trainer after she fell off of a stability (BOSU) ball while stepping down from it. She claimed that the personal trainer didn’t take enough care to adequately educate her on how to use it and failed to spot her properly. Sure, the trainer could have done a better job of spotting the client and making sure that she could mount and dismount safely. However, there’s got to be some level of trust and communication in any sort of relationship, professional or not. If you’re constantly worried about the what-ifs and doing some sort of “hand-holding”, it’s unlikely you’re that allowing your clients to properly exert themselves and challenge their bodies. In other words, with  insurance coverage, you won’t feel so uneasy the next time your client steps up to the squat rack or leans in for a 50lb kettlebell swing.

Pay A Little Now For Peace Of Mind Later

Much in the same way some careless drivers go without car insurance, some personal trainers go without liability insurance. This is a huge mistake. The cost of insurance for personal trainers is most commonly the biggest factor and deterrent, while some personal trainers simply don’t even realize they need to have some form of coverage. Unfortunately, it’s a common misconception that the cost of personal trainer insurance is expensive. How much is personal training insurance? Many insurance carriers charge a premium of roughly $200-$250 annually, which is only about $20 a month, and less than $1 per day! This cost is a very small fraction of the overall income you have the potential to generate as a business-savvy personal trainer. Another cost to consider beyond the premium mentioned above is the deductible, which will be charged for each incident that occurs. When signing up for an insurance policy, be sure that your deductible is set to an amount that you can afford to pay for each incident. For example, with a deductible of $500, if something catastrophic were to occur and your client broke a bone or tore a ligament, you’d only need to pay $500 instead of the entire $20,000 hospital bill. The math is pretty simple here, isn’t it? One way to minimize your risk exposure is to always invest in safe and quality personal training equipment.

Know Your Limits – Liability Insurance Only Covers So Much

Keep in mind insurance doesn’t always cover everything. Some typical exclusions are breach of contract and deliberate injuries or damage. Make sure to read the fine print about what your coverage does and does not include. Spend a few dollars up front for the peace of mind, it will end up costing a whole lot more if you’re not covered and something does happen! You’re in this for the long haul, so do all you can to take care of your clients and in return, it will keep them coming back for more.