Personal Training (5)

Personal Trainer Insurance: A Simple Guide

Personal trainer insurance has become its own mini industry. Dedicated companies now offer bespoke coverage for PTs, alongside most certifying organisations too. But do you really need personal training insurance? And are there any alternatives?

 

In this article – we breakdown the essentials of insurance for personal trainers in simple, easy-to-understand language.

 

When you dream about becoming a personal trainer, insurance probably doesn’t enter the equation. But whether you’re self-employed or working for a company, it’s an important piece of the puzzle that shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

There are three types of insurance you should consider as a personal trainer…

 

  1. Liability insurance
  2. Health insurance
  3. Accident insurance

 

Let’s look at each of these types of personal trainer insurance in a bit more detail…

 

Disclaimer: This info does not constitute financial advice or insurance guidance. Always do your own research to ensure you make the right choice for your specific circumstances.

 

Personal Trainer Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is mandatory for all personal trainers, as it protects your clients as well as your own interests. There’s really no getting out of this one.

 

If a client was to get injured and make a claim against you, but you weren’t covered, then you’d have to pay the damages from your own pocket. And that can be expensive. In fact, most gyms won’t employ you without valid liability insurance.

 

In most cases, this type of insurance will pay for the client’s medical bills and loss of earnings. It should also cover any legal fees and damages should they take you to court (eek!).

 

This one is well worth investing in, to protect yourself as well as your client. Costs range from $160 per year, skip to the bottom for our top picks

 

Health Insurance

Health insurance will cover the costs of your own medical care if you get sick or injured. In the US it’ll help you avoid high medical bills should the worst happen. But in other countries like the UK, it may not be necessary since you’re entitled to health care from the NHS.

 

Unlike liability insurance, you don’t necessarily need to buy special ‘personal trainer’ health insurance. You can get a generic option instead of something fitness industry-specific.

 

However, you do need to read the terms and conditions carefully, especially the list of activities that aren’t included in the plan. Some insurance policies don’t cover you for things like winter sports, so it’s important to understand exactly what you are (or aren’t) paying for.

 

Accident Insurance

Accident insurance enables you to recoup any loss of earnings should you become injured and unable to work.

 

Imagine you trip over whilst running, and twist your knee. Would you really be able to train clients if you weren’t able to walk yourself? How would you pay the bills whilst you weren’t able to earn money?

 

Accident insurance protects you in this situation, so is definitely worth thinking about. Especially if your income is the main one in your household. But there is another option…

 

Self-Insurance

As we said earlier,  liability insurance is mandatory for personal trainers. However in most countries, health and accident insurance aren’t required by law, so what’s the alternative?

 

Self-insuring could be a viable option. Instead of paying an annual premium to an insurance company, put away money every month into a high-interest savings account.

 

This savings becomes your very own ‘insurance’, so if the unexpected happens then you have the funds to cover it. And if nothing happens, then you keep the money and roll it over to the next year.

 

If you don’t claim, this can work out as a better option than health or accident insurance. And it may cover the costs of treatment or loss of earnings in a bad situation.

 

But there are still risks, such as something unexpected happening before you’ve built up enough funds to cover it. Or developing a condition that’s REALLY expensive to treat.

 

Ultimately, life is unpredictable, and insurance is about mitigating risks. So decide for yourself what’s right in your personal situation.

 

Insurance for USA Personal Trainers

 

UK Insurance Options

 

Australia Top Picks