- Last Updated:
- 6/19/2024
- Tricia Johnson
JoAnne Hammer | Program Manager
JoAnne Hammer is the Program Manager for Insurance Canopy. She has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since July 2004.
JoAnne understands that starting and operating a business takes a tremendous amount of time, dedication, and financial resources. She believes that insurance is the single best way to protect your investment, business, and personal assets.
JoAnne Hammer is the Program Manager for Insurance Canopy. She has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since July 2004.
JoAnne understands that starting and operating a business takes a tremendous amount of time, dedication, and financial resources. She believes that insurance is the single best way to protect your investment, business, and personal assets.
Do Personal Trainers Need Insurance? (Yes, Learn Why)
What if:
- I’m careful, do I really need insurance? Yes.
- I’ve never had a claim? Yes.
- I only train virtually? Also yes.
- My clients sign waivers? Still yes.
I work in a gym? Most of the time, yes.
Personal trainers need liability insurance designed to cover accidents and injuries, like strains, sprains, and falls, as well as potential claims or lawsuits that may follow. Learn the basics of personal trainer insurance to understand your risks and needs, so you can focus on helping your clients reach their goals rather than worrying about the risks you face.
Why Personal Trainers Need Insurance
Personal trainers need insurance to protect against costly injuries, property damage, and other claims that could sideline your business. Insurance is like your spotter when going for a PR: it’s there in case something goes wrong, not because you expect it to go wrong.
From a torn hamstring to broken equipment, mishaps that happen in a second can follow you for years in the form of claims and lawsuits. Personal trainer insurance is a safety net designed to keep you from financial hardship if you face a claim or lawsuit.
Protection Against Expensive Claims
Skipping insurance is a pricey gamble, even if you’re the most experienced trainer in town. Claims involving negligence, bodily injury, property damage, or even advertising mistakes can easily climb from the hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Since 2020, for example, Insurance Canopy’s average payout for defending a personal trainer liability claim is $31,218. Our highest single claim since 2020? Over $200,000. Legal fees and other costs add up fast, so insurance isn’t the place to cut corners in your budget.
For a clearer idea of the costs insurance helps you avoid, here are some numbers to review:
- The average urgent care visit: $180
- The average ER visit: $1,000-$2,000
- Average attorney rates: $200+ per hour
Real personal trainer liability claims: $3,000-$200,000+
Meeting Gym Requirements
Most gyms that allow you to rent their space or hire you as an independent contractor require you to carry your own liability insurance. Why? In both scenarios, the gym’s insurance typically only covers the physical gym and its owners, and doesn’t extend to you.
That’s why many fitness facilities ask you to show proof of insurance, also known as a certificate of insurance (COI), before officially hiring you.
Am I Covered Through My Gym?
Most gym insurance policies only cover the gym itself, not the individual trainers. Others only cover full-time employees, not freelancers or independent contractors. Double-check insurance requirements and read the fine print in your contracts to make sure.
In these setups, it’s still possible for the gym to be named in claims or lawsuits alongside you for incidents related to your services. Because of this, they typically ask to be named as an additional insured on your policy.
Being listed as an additional insured allows gyms to receive some coverage under your policy if they are named in a claim or lawsuit with you. Without insurance, you can’t add anyone as an additional insured, which may be required for you to be hired.
Shows You're Responsible
Personal trainer business insurance shows clients that you’re trustworthy and professional. It signals to clients that you take your job seriously and that you’re not a risk-taker when it comes to their safety.
Delivers Peace of Mind
Having reliable personal trainer insurance lets you focus more on your clients and running your business by reducing anxiety over potential “what-ifs.” It also offers peace of mind to new or prospective clients when they see you’re serious enough to carry insurance.
Liability insurance isn’t an admission of guilt or a sign you’re “not good at your job.” It’s simply a smart business practice. You wouldn’t deadlift heavy with poor form, just like you shouldn’t run a business without liability insurance.
What Insurance Do Personal Trainers Need (& What Does it Cover)?
Industry standards and certifying bodies like NASM, ACE, and ISSA recommend that personal trainers have general and professional liability insurance (at a minimum). These two coverages are made to fit the most common types of claims and are the backbone of quality personal trainer insurance.
See the table for the types of liability coverage most personal trainers need.
Essential Coverage Types and What They Cover
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Professional liability |
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Just like customized training plans get the best results, sometimes the best insurance for you is the one that lets you customize your policy. Depending on your business, you may want additional coverages to fill gaps in your protection.
Optional Coverage Types and What They Cover
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Diet & Nutrition Coverage |
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Real Claim Examples from Personal Trainers
The following are real claims experienced by Insurance Canopy fitness instructors.
Claim A
An instructor was sued for something they were not responsible for, but the instructor still had to defend themselves in court. Their professional liability insurance helped pay the $61,045 in defense costs.
Claim B
An insured moved a bench that was resting on a wall mirror back to its place, but when moving the footpad, it hit the glass, cracking it. Their general liability policy helped pay the $2,000 to replace the mirror.
Claim C
An insured’s client fell off a stair machine and needed surgery. The trainer’s general liability policy helped foot the $170,000 medical bill.
How Much Does Personal Trainer Insurance Cost?
Personal trainer liability insurance with Insurance Canopy costs as low as $15/month or $159/year.
Many companies base their rates on where you live and work. Insurance Canopy doesn’t. Optional add-on coverages come with small extra fees, but with Insurance Canopy, all personal trainer policies start at $15/month or $159/year, no matter what state you live in.*
*Currently not for sale in Missouri
Quick-Start: Get Covered in 10 Minutes or Less
Once you’ve done all you can to minimize your risks, liability insurance helps you breathe easy by covering the what-ifs. Getting personal trainer insurance is quick and easy with Insurance Canopy’s online checkout process.
- Go to the checkout page and select “Personal Trainer”
- Provide basic business information
- Opt in or out of additional coverages
- Choose your policy start date and review your coverage choices
- Choose annual or monthly payments and input payment info
A few seconds after processing payment, you’ll receive an email confirmation and instant access to your certificate of insurance (COI) through your online dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Trainer Insurance
Yes, online trainers still need personal trainer insurance. You’re still financially responsible for harm due to your online instruction, even if you never meet your client in person.
Also, if you teach out of your home, many homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies don’t cover incidents or equipment for a for-profit business.
The primary difference between general and professional liability insurance lies in their scope of coverage, in other words, what actually caused the incident in question.
General liability is designed for bodily injury or physical damage that happens in or around your training, like a client breaking their wrist after tripping over an entryway.
Professional liability insurance is designed to cover injuries and accidents resulting from your advice or instructions. This means things like mistakes in your directions, errors in your judgment, or a failure to provide proper instructions (commonly known as negligence).
While liability waivers reduce your chances of getting sued, they do not guarantee complete legal protection. You should still use liability waivers, as they provide an additional layer of protection. They just can’t cover everything (like gross negligence or violations of state laws).
If you’re self-employed as a personal trainer, your liability insurance may be considered a business expense you can deduct on your taxes. Each state has its own tax code, and federal tax laws are frequently updated. So, it’s best to check with a tax professional, the IRS Small Business Tax Center, or the Small Business Administration’s Tax Info Center first.
