One of the first things you need to take care of as a personal trainer before you can take on clients is handling insurance. This can protect you and your business in case someone is injured, and isn’t as complicated as it might seem. There are actually plenty of budget-friendly and simple options for multiple types of insurance that fitness instructors need. Hundreds of thousands of injuries happen in the fitness industry every year, and if a client is hurt then the trainer can easily be blamed. The only way to protect yourself is with the right kind of insurance plan. In this guide, you’ll see the best insurance for personal trainers in 2022, and be pointed toward some of the top plans.
Before you purchase any insurance plans you need to understand the different types there are. You should know what each kind entails and what it can, and can’t, protect you from. As a personal trainer, you need to make sure you have both professional and general liability insurance before working with any clients.
Professional liability insurance will protect you if a client tries to say you are to blame for any injury they have received. For example, they could say you weren’t spotting them right, or your equipment was not correctly set up. This is one of the two types of insurance you need as a personal trainer and is also called Errors and Omissions Insurance.
You’ve likely heard of general liability since it is the most common for many businesses to have. This protects you in most instances where a client is accidentally injured. General liability keeps you from having to pay for medical bills or face a lawsuit. Instead of you paying to treat them, your insurance will. This guide will showcase five of the best liability plans for 2022 that you can use now.
You might need additional insurance options, especially if you’re running your own business. Having employees work under you requires completely different types of insurance. In some cases, you might need to look into business property, worker’s compensation, cybersecurity, or product liability insurance. These can offer coverage that includes more complex issues you might run into. However, if you’re working in a gym as a trainer you mainly need to worry about professional liability and general liability.
There are numerous insurance plans out there to choose from, but some have better reputations in the fitness community than others. The following five are the best liability insurance plans for personal trainers in 2022. Keep in mind most liability plans won’t offer protection for theft or damage to your equipment.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine provides NEXT Personal Trainer Insurance for only $11 a month, making it one of the cheapest options you’ll find. This is an especially great option if you received your initial certification with NASM. It’s offered through their partnership with the NEXT insurance group and is available nationwide. You can even add multiple insured locations where you may be training clients. There are Pro and Premium plans as well for just a few extra dollars a month. NEXT Personal Trainer Insurance even covers online training sessions.
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Pros of this plan
InterWest Liability Insurance is offered through another personal trainer certification program, the American Council on Exercise. You’ll be covered no matter where you train clients, and will even have an ID card to show proof of insurance. There are two package options you can choose from, a one-year policy or a two-year policy. InterWest will keep you safe from failure to perform or negligence claims, and yearly costs are only a couple of hundred dollars for each policy.
Pros of this plan
You’ll be able to get professional and general liability through Insure Fitness Group. This is a great option for trainers and others in the fitness field. Plan options are budget-friendly and provide plenty of benefits. You’ll be insured immediately after you make the first payment, and the mobile feature means you’ll be protected no matter where you train clients. The policy starts at just over $16 a month and will protect you from plenty of possibilities.
Pros of this plan
If you’re looking for various policy options then Sadler Sports & Recreation Insurance is your best coverage for 2022. You can get professional and general liability through them with six different options to choose from. They range from lower cost and less coverage to higher costs and more coverage. Policy one with less coverage costs $160 for a year, while policy six has the most coverage and costs a little over a thousand for a year.
Pros of this plan
IDEA Health & Fitness Insurance has the best insurance for part-time personal trainers in 2022. You can get coverage even if you haven’t been certified yet, which many other insurance companies don’t do. Full-time trainers for these policies are considered anyone that works over six hours a week, and part-time trainers work five or less. You can turn to IDEA no matter what kind of fitness training you provide, from yoga to golf. There’s even coverage for water-based sports and recreation, which usually have much higher premiums than you’ll find with IDEA.
Pros of this plan
The National Academy of Sports Medicine Health, Liability and Accident Insurance is one of the most affordable options out there and was designed specifically with fitness professionals in mind. There are three plan options, and you can create customizable options. Monthly costs start at $11 and go up based on coverage. You’ll also be able to add on multiple training locations.
Pros of this plan
It’s important you get insurance coverage as a personal trainer, no matter what specific plan or policy you go with. This protects you from a wide range of possibilities and claims and can save you thousands to millions of dollars in claims or lawsuits. Not to mention, it’s illegal in most places to take on a client without the proper insurance in place.
The insurance you purchase can protect you from multiple kinds of occurrences, from bodily harm to negligence or equipment theft. Some policies will cover more than others, so make sure to do the proper research and pick a plan that best suits your needs. You can also compare quotes for multiple plans so you're able to get the most budget-friendly option. If you have your own business and don’t work through a gym you’ll most likely need more than just general and professional liability.
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About the Author:
Cory McKane
Cory is a huge fan of fitness - and an even bigger fan of helping you with your fitness. He's started on his journey with WeStrive back in 2015 and has been building it ever since.