Best in industry personal trainer insurance
Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of U.S. based personal trainers or fitness instructors directly supervising an individual or group engaged in fitness and exercise activities.
Pay as low as $194 for a rock-solid $1,000,000 Liability Limit that does not require you to join another expensive association and receive your Certificates of Insurance IMMEDIATELY.
Beware of other programs that don’t cover punitive damages and that nickel and dime you to death with a $30 charge for each additional insured. Read the fine print in competitors’ programs.
If you’re the owner of a fitness facility or exercise studio, click here to find out how to save up to 38% while getting the protection you need.
Personal trainer insurance and fitness instructor insurance
Despite a 27% decrease in overall recreational and sports-related injuries in 2020, there were still almost 400,000 injuries involving just physical exercise and the use of exercise equipment. The data comes from the National Safety Council. So if you’re a
personal trainer or fitness instructor, you need to make yourself aware of the potential dangers lurking in your fitness class. Don’t be a number!
As an instructor or business owner, you have a responsibility to your students, but you also have a responsibility to yourself. Accidents happen, especially in a very physical environment. Make sure to cover all of your bases and give yourself the maximum amount of protection. That includes adequate risk management measures and a personal trainer insurance policy with broad coverage.
Limits of liability and annual premiums
| COVERAGE | OPTION 1 | OPTION 2 | OPTION 3 | OPTION 4 | OPTION 5 | |
| Each Occurrence Limit | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |
| General Aggregate | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |
| Products/Completed Operations Aggregate | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |
| $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | ||
| Damage to Premises Rented to You | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | |
| Medical Expense Payments (other than participants) | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | |
| Bodily Injury to Participants | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |
| Professional Liability | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | |
| 1-YEAR PREMIUM (Certified Instructors) (Must Indicate Certification.) |
$194 | $284 | $534 | $784 | $1,034 | |
| 2-YEAR PREMIUM (Certified Instructors) (Must Indicate Certification.) |
$338 | $499.50 | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available | |
| 1-YEAR PREMIUM (Non-Certified Instructors) | $245 | $360 | $610 | $860 | $1,110 | |
| 2-YEAR PREMIUM (Non-Certified Instructors) | $429 | $636 | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
Rates are available 01-01-2023 to 12-31-2023
Coverage is provided by a carrier rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company.
ALL APPLICANTS: A $15 RPG fee is required by the carrier for all applications. An RPG fee provides group purchasing power for similar risks resulting in potential advantageous coverage terms, competitive rates, risk management bulletins, and rewards for favorable group loss experience.
- Rates are per instructor.
- You are not required to join an association to qualify for coverage.
- Additional Insureds (ex: Managers and/or lessors of premises) can be added at no additional cost.
- A complete coverage description is included in the application.
- Note to agents and brokers: There are no commissions included in this program.
Program eligibility
What type of fitness classes are covered by fitness instructor insurance? Our fitness instructor insurance covers a wide array of training program niches in all different categories. Eligible activities include:
Rhythmic Movement & Stretching
Martial Arts & Self Defense
- Cardio Kickboxing
- Qigong
- Tai Chi
Youth
- Children’s Fitness Programs
- Tumbling (floor only, no gymnastics apparatus)
Strength-Based
- GYROTONIC®
- Personal Training
- Strength
Other Exercise Classes
- Aquatic Exercise
- Exercise
- Fitness Bootcamp
- Indoor Cycling
Program ineligibility
- Certified athletic trainers
- Coaching of organized competitive athletic teams
- Instruction of sports skill activities
- Instructors under the age of 18
- Instructor’s employment as an exempt or non-exempt employee of a school, university or college
Exclusions
Please print the application for additional exclusions contained in this policy.
Risk management content
Visit our Risk Management page to access the following important content most applicable to Fitness Instructors:
- “Suffering the Injury and Blaming the Trainer”
- Sample Waiver/Release-Minor & Adult
- Are Waivers Worth The Paper They Are Written On?
- Before You Sign The Facility Lease Agreement
- Collecting Certificates of Insurance From Vendors
- Emergency Information / Medical Consent Form
This is not an all inclusive list, check out our Risk Management page for other articles, programs, videos, and forms.
Specialty areas
Among all the fitness classes we cover with our personal trainer insurance policies, some of our most popular specialty areas include indoor cycling, aerobics, Zumba, yoga, pilates, etc.
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General Liability and Professional Liability
General Liability insurance protects personal trainers against the following types of claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and personal/advertising injury:
- Injury resulting from inadequate supervision such as failure to properly spot trainee
- Failing to properly instruct the trainee on correct technique resulting in injury
- Injury resulting from use of substandard equipment or defective equipment
- Injury resulting from failure to design a proper workout program
- Slip/trip/fall injury due to wet area on floor or exposed electrical cord
- Allegations of slander, libel, or invasion of privacy
- Negligence that results in an electrical short causing fire that damages building
What is Professional Liability coverage?
General Liability policies should include a Professional Liability endorsement, including coverage for certain allegations other than bodily injury and property damage. For example, a client could claim failure to progress with fitness goals due to improper instruction. Many of these types of allegations are groundless but are costly to defend.
Our fitness instructor insurance includes a professional liability insurance policy to offer you added protection. A common form of professional liability insurance is Errors & Ommissions that can help cover you in the case of claims arising from your negligence.
Accidents and high risk activities
Accidents and medical emergencies can happen anytime, to anyone, anywhere. And while you may not be liable, chances are you’ll face situations where you have to defend yourself against claims made by clients. In addition to offering General and Professional liability insurance geared to personal trainers, we also offer specific risk management tools and advice for trainers working as employees and independent contractors, and that will help you minimize risks whether you work out of your home,
your own studio, or another facility.
If you’re a fitness professional, you must be knowledgeable in assessing the health risks of your clients. Screenings should be systematic and address signs and symptoms of disease, risk factors and family history. The client and trainer fill our portions of the screening forms, and both sign an agreement as to goals and training methods based on the assessment.
One example of such a screening is the PAR-Q & You form, which is a well-recognized pre-exercise screening measure for low-to-moderate exercise training. This is broad tool that may overlook the client’s important health information. However, a “yes” answer by the client to any of the questions requires the trainer to obtain a medical release form from the client’s physician. Clients should also sign an informed consent/release of liability form.
Business risks not related to training
Many small business operators are so busy building the business that they don’t take time to ensure the safety and security of everything for which they’ve worked so hard. There are hidden risks few business operators think of until it’s too late. Let us help you determine what type and how much coverage you need to adequately cover yourself, your clients and your business in the event of an accident or catastrophic incident.
Employees vs. Independent Contractors
Personal trainers can work as employees in health clubs, studios and fitness organizations or as independent contractors. There are perks and downfalls to both options.
Should you form a Limited Liability Company?
A business designated as limited liability company (LLC) enjoys the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax benefits of a partnership. Depending on the state of registration, an LLC can consist of a single owner or two or more individuals (known as members). An LLC isn’t taxed as a business. Instead, the profits and losses pass through the business to the member(s). The members report profits and losses on their personal tax returns.
LLC advantages
- Limited liability means that the members are protected from personal liability if the LLC if the LLC is sued. However, the “limited” in limited liability means members are protected from their passive negligence when other employees are directly negligent; however, owners are not necessarily protected from allegations of their direct, personal negligence.
- Less registration paperwork is required and smaller start-up costs involved than a corporation.
- Profit restrictions are fewer because members distribute profits however they want. They decide the profits and loss percentages each member earns.
LLC disadvantages
- In many states, the LLC is dissolved when a member leaves. The other members are required to fulfill any remaining business obligations to close the business. They can then decide whether or not to register a new LLC. However, there can be a provision in the original business agreement that the life of the LLC will be prolonged in the event of a member’s departure.
- LLC members are considered self-employed. As such, they are required to pay self-employment tax contributions toward Medicare and Social Security. These taxes take into account the entire net income of the LLC.
What are the benefits of personal trainer insurance?
A basic general liability policy with professional liability insurance can help protect you in the event of a lawsuit arising from an accident in one of your personal training classes. There are several main benefits of a personal trainer insurance plan. First, you
can get help with covering medical costs if someone in your class has an injury and goes to the hospital or requires physical therapy. Similarly, if someone has to miss work because of an injury, an insurance policy can help cover compensation costs and lost wages.
Some of these legal claims may have no standing but could leave you with significant financial losses. Having a proper insurance plan will help give you peace so you can focus on running your business and managing your classes.
Do I need personal trainer insurance?
We recommend personal trainer insurance to almost all personal trainers and fitness instructors. Having a solid personal trainer insurance plan can help protect you against negligence and other liabilities. However, certain unexpected accidents can occur, and we advise you to prepare yourself for the financial burden involved with most litigation.
If you contract under a gym or sports facility, that facility’s insurance policy typically does not protect instructors and other independent contractors. Those types of policies usually only cover employees. Therefore, it is even more important for you to have adequate protection. Some facilities require that their instructors have some form of personal trainer or fitness instructor insurance.
What if I teach online? Do I still need insurance?
In short, yes. We recommend fitness instructors pursue every avenue of protecting themselves. Just because you or your students are not physically present at a designated location does not mean you are without risk. A student can still attempt to link your 
teaching and instruction to a specific injury or other medical ailments. They may state that your instruction caused the injury to occur and hold you accountable for professional negligence.
Claims such as these usually hold no ground but can be costly to defend in court. In this case, a professional liability policy would help cover you against these types of claims and help with legal expenses. We can also structure your policy to include a focus on the online aspect of your business.
Getting personalized coverage for your personal training class
If you are a personal trainer or fitness instructor, getting an insurance policy that’s right for you is quick and easy. Get an instant online quote in just a couple of minutes with proof of insurance documents. Having an adequate insurance policy can help cover you against costly damages, medical costs, and legal fees. If an injury occurs during your fitness class and a student sues you for damages, how will you protect yourself?
Our general liability policy with professional liability insurance offers broad coverage at an affordable rate. Getting high-quality, affordable personal trainer insurance has never been so easy. Additionally, you will not need to pay an association fee that other insurance companies may request in addition to your annual premium. This fee can sometimes be up to $500 per year.
Sadler & Co. Insurance can provide you with a strong insurance plan and help protect you in the event of a lawsuit. In addition, you can customize our personal trainers insurance and fitness instructors insurance plans to fit your needs. So give yourself peace of mind and get a quote today!
If you’re the owner of a fitness facility, click here to find out how to save up to 38% while getting the protection you need.