Fitness Insurance: Know Your Options   by Maddie Wilson

in Insurance    (submitted 2011-02-16)

Fitness professionals and sports club administrators should carry liability insurance to cover their businesses in the event of an accident or injury. Sports and fitness insurance gives this industry the protection that it requires to avoid financial chaos when the unthinkable happens. Trainers work with clients extensively both on site and at the client's home. Injuries to the client or even damages to the home can make the fitness pro financially liable. Sports and fitness insurance provides the coverage trainers need for peace of mind.

Fitness Insurance Overview

Do not misunderstand what fitness insurance is. Yes, it would be nice to insure your body against the drawbacks of aging, accidents, and general inactivity, but this particular policy is for the personal trainer or the fitness club owner, whose business depends on protections against skyrocketing legal and medical costs that often target the uninsured professional. Personal trainers and fitness clubs put themselves at risk when they agree to help clients find their limits and build better bodies. With this type of insurance, there is liability and property coverage for the insured. The problem for many of the industry's pros is the extremely specialized nature of their work. As a result, only a handful of companies provide any coverage at all.

Fitness Insurance Types

There are two main types of insurance for fitness pros: individual and general business coverage. Policies are customizable for the individual trainer's areas of specialization. General business offers an umbrella of protection to all the club's employees. Specialty areas that are eligible for fitness insurance include yoga instructors, Pilate’s instructors, dance instructors, martial art coaches, group fitness instructors and life coach coaches.

Possible Policy Features

Insurance polices are available with a number of features that have been important to the professional over time. These include liability insurance for issues like bodily injury that may be caused by the services provided and personal injury liability protection from lawsuits due to invasion of privacy, slander, or libel. Sexual abuse liability also covers an instructor from accusations of sexually abusing a client. Product liability protects the trainer or fitness club from injuries incurred due to faulty equipment or products. Limits will vary and are adjustable by the policyholder, but remember: the higher the protections, the higher the premiums.

Club Insurance

Club insurance provides equal protections that are available to the individual trainer, but also includes a stipulation that protects against property damage, which often occurs when equipment or products are in the hands of so many different people. Most policies cover each club employee, making individual insurance unnecessary if a pro is working as a club employee. Protections against bodily injury, trips and falls are included in most policies. Property damage insurance provides coverage for equipment damage.

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