Becoming a personal trainer can prove to be one of the most rewarding endeavors in your life. Being able to place an emphasis on feeling great and encouraging others to find their own potential for amazing fitness is hard to beat, especially when you make a career out of it. The Fitness Trainer Academy is proud to be your source for top-notch personal trainer certification in Houston, providing comprehensive instruction to equip our students with all of the tools needed to thrive in this exciting industry. From introductory sports nutrition courses to best business practices, our goal is to provide the best personal trainer certification in Texas. When you enroll in our program, you’re receiving a full load of information in addition to becoming an NASM-certified personal trainer.
One aspect of our personal trainer courses that focuses on the business side of the industry is insurance coverage for your services. Today, we’ll take a look at what liability coverage is and how it can be vital in protecting your business while you’re excelling at your craft. If you’re interested in becoming a personal trainer, be sure to enroll in our program to start out on the winning foot!
The Need for Insurance
As a personal trainer, your goal is to help clients approach their fitness goals using proven methods. While this goal is positive and aims to bring out the best in everyone, the potential for accidents does exist. Whether you’re starting your own individual practice or you’re contracting with a local gym, it’s important to obtain professional liability insurance to keep you and your business protected in case the worst happens. From the gym to mobile fitness training, accidents and injuries can occur. When they do, it’s important to be covered, and finding a policy that is similar to car insurance will help to keep you and your business safe.
Unfortunately, many people fail to realize the dangers of their practice once they become a personal trainer. The gym or health club you are employed at may provide liability coverage for their facility, but this insurance may not extend to you as an independent trainer if a lawsuit or insurance claim is brought against you personally. Regardless of where you work or how much time you commit to your career, it’s important to have the proper insurance to keep everyone protected.
Finding Comprehensive Coverage
The flexibility of personal training in terms of location and schedule can make finding the perfect insurance challenging, but many companies are happy to help you throughout the process. It’s important to find coverage that protects your business from a wide range of issues, including:
- Professional liability, which is often the umbrella term used for better insurance coverages for working experts such as personal trainers. Your coverage will need to cover injuries in various locations, so be sure to find the perfect plan before getting to work!
- Sexual abuse liability is included to protect trainers from lawsuits that are based on sexual misconduct. In some cases, the clients have been known to misunderstand what their trainer was saying, resulting in sexual allegations and a costly legal battle for the defendant. Regardless of the origins or motives behind the claims, life can be easier with insurance.
- Product liability is common for professional personal trainers who sell any products, such as protein supplements. The last thing your practice needs is a lawsuit that stems from a product lawsuit.
While these three components are a big part of your professional liability insurance, it’s important to note that your coverage can include several other areas of coverage. As always, it’s best to speak to an industry professional to find the best solution for your unique needs.
Liability Releases
One way to keep your practice protected is to design an agreement that releases you and your facility of any liability. A common complaint brought against personal trainers is injury due to failure to instruct. These claims occur when a personal trainer fails to effectively instruct clients on how to properly do an exercise, which causes an injury. Another issue that creates legal concerns for new trainers is preexisting conditions, where injuries can occur due to a previous issue that was not known to the trainer at the time. Developing a release waiver is a common practice for many businesses, and as a personal trainer, it will fall on you to determine what goes into your waver. Speaking with a lawyer is a good idea.
It’s essential to continually check and update your liability insurance as a personal trainer. The last thing you need is a lapse in your coverage! Checking your insurance policy often and working closely with an agent will help to keep everything covered and continuous to prevent any serious issues.
Becoming a personal trainer is an amazingly rewarding experience, but one that is best when you have the best possible education. The Fitness Trainer Academy is here to provide personal trainer certification to Houston, San Antonio, and Pflugerville. Contact us today to learn more about our personal trainer courses or enroll now to take charge of your career!