Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor Insurance

Specialist cover for fitness professionals, personal trainers and sports coaches from £5 a month*.

  • Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds

  • 24hr legal advice helpline and legal hub

  • No hidden fees or cancellation charges

Personal trainer and fitness instructor insurance is designed specifically with fitness training professionals in mind and can be tailored to suit your business needs.

Whether you are a personal trainer who works with clients on individual programmes or a fitness instructor who leads group classes, it is worthwhile considering obtaining the correct level of cover in case something was to go wrong.

Personal trainer insurance

As a personal trainer, you create personalised training programmes for individuals, helping them to achieve their unique health and fitness goals. This training and mentorship may take place within a gym, but it's also common for you to work in your own studios, in public spaces like a park, or in a client’s home. While you can be diligent and take every precaution to ensure your clients’ satisfaction and safety, there are potential risks involved with running a personal training business.

Do personal trainers need insurance?

While it’s not a legal requirement to be insured, many gyms, leisure facilities, and even personal training clients, will ask that you have public liability and professional indemnity insurance in place before you begin your training sessions.  If you work outdoors, in your personal studio, or in clients’ homes, personal fitness trainer insurance should be a key consideration, due to the potential risks of claims being brought against you. In fact, it is generally considered vital cover for fitness coaching professionals of all descriptions.

Do online personal trainers need insurance?

Personal trainers working with clients remotely should consider obtaining  insurance, though your policy will be built around your specific needs as an online personal trainer. So, while you may not need portable equipment cover or insurance for a studio, you will still be working with clients so professional indemnity and public liability insurance for personal trainers are essential considerations.

Our personal trainer business insurance automatically provides cover for working with clients remotely using video services such as Zoom or Skype. But please note that your sessions/instruction must be done on a live basis and to your client (or clients, if part of a group session) only. The policy does not provide cover for pre-recorded videos uploaded to a video platform (e.g. YouTube) for anyone to access.

How much does personal trainer insurance cost?

We offer insurance for personal trainers that's suited to your unique role, so the price will depend on the range and level of covers you require. Whether you train clients in the park on your own, or you have a studio and team of trainers, you can pick and choose different aspects of the coverage that best apply to your professional situation.

With Markel Direct, you can expect more from your insurance provider. We insure thousands of fitness instructors, coaches and professionals, which is why we offer a range of useful services designed to make your life easier (included as standard with the relevant section of cover).

  • 24/7 access to a legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors
  • Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub
  • Access our fee dispute service to assist with unpaid invoices
  • Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House
  • A specialist cyber response helpline to help in the event of a cyber attack

How to get personal trainer insurance?

Buying personal trainers’ insurance with Markel Direct couldn’t be easier. Our online quote system will ask you a few simple questions about your business and build a policy around it. You’ll be offered covers that may be of interest and you can choose to buy all or just some of them, so you will only ever pay for the cover you want.

If you'd like to get started, get an online quote today.

Fitness instructor insurance

As a fitness instructor, you are likely to be based within a gym or fitness centre, running group sessions like spin, aerobics, and weightlifting classes, and overseeing the fitness and wellbeing of all gym users.

You may think that because you’re not working one-to-one with clients, the importance of having appropriate insurance as a fitness instructor is less than that for a personal trainer, but this is not the case. You are still working closely with clients, giving them advice and guiding them through classes, and even the most careful and conscientious instructor can find themselves on the wrong side of a claim. If a class member feels that you gave them incorrect advice and it caused them harm, you could be liable. That’s why specialist insurance for fitness instructors is worthwhile considering obtaining.

What insurance do I need as a fitness instructor?

The types of cover on a fitness instructors’ insurance policy will be the same as listed above for personal trainers. However, as the two professions carry slightly different risks, you can add and remove products to suit your specific business needs. You can also choose the level of cover - the highest amount the insurance company will pay out - appropriate for the risk to your business. 

It’s worth remembering that many gyms and leisure facilities have fitness instructor insurance requirements. These include the types of cover you need - such as professional indemnity and public liability insurance for fitness instructors - and the level of cover.

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Cover starting at £5 a month

What insurance do personal trainers need?

  • Public liability and professional indemnity insurance

    Public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance offer comprehensive protection against the cost of defending your fitness business against allegations of professional negligence (such as giving incorrect instruction or coaching to a client) and if unsuccessful, the cost of damages awarded against you. These two forms of insurance are combined for personal trainers.

    Your clients rely on your expertise and advice to improve their fitness. An injury sustained as part of your recommended workout could leave you open to a claim. Professional indemnity insurance covers you against potential loss-making outcomes, whether financially or to your reputation.

    In addition, it covers the cost of defending your business (including damages awarded against you if unsuccessful) if someone is injured, or their property damaged, which arises from you going about your business. Examples of claims include:

    • You advise a client how to perform an exercise, however they fall while doing it and injure themselves. They take legal action against you, alleging you failed to properly explain the move.
    • You produce a personalised training plan for a client, however they don’t achieve the goals they were promised. They take legal action against you, alleging your training was inadequate.
    • A client trips over a weight that has been left lying around and injures their hip. They are unable to work and make a personal injury claim against you seeking compensation.
    • You help a client stretch following an exercise session, however you push the muscle too far and it tears. The client takes legal action against you for the injury suffered.

    If you're dealing with members of the public on private premises, public liability insurance is important. By taking out this cover you can feel completely comfortable and confident in your workspace.

  • Employer’s liability insurance

    Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if your business has employees, including other personal trainers. It covers your business against claims for injury or illness suffered by employees arising from their employment. Markel Direct provides cover for £10m.

    For example, while training a client, an employee slips on an unsecured workout mat and injures themselves. They make a personal injury claim against you seeking compensation.

  • Legal expenses insurance

    Legal expenses insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided for the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.

  • Directors and officers insurance

    Directors and officers insurance helps cover the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided in respect of the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.

  • Office insurance

    Office insurance covers your office buildings, office contents and computer equipment against accidental damage (including theft) whilst on your business premises. You can also choose to cover portable business equipment (such as laptops and mobile phones) on a worldwide basis, and to insure your business against loss of income and/or additional trading expenses following events such as damage to your property.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

    Occupational personal accident insurance provides a weekly payment if you are unable to work due to temporary total disablement (subject to a 14-day deferment period). In the event of loss of limbs, sight, speech, hearing, permanent total disablement or death, a lump sum would be paid out.

    Few personal trainers and fitness instructors are fortunate enough to not be injured in the course of their profession, and this cover can help you maintain an income if you were unable to work following an accident while working for your business.

  • Cyber and data risks insurance

    Cyber and data risks insurance pays towards the costs of restoring data and equipment, informing clients, meeting ransom demands and loss of your net profit following a cyber-attack. If you hold confidential information about your clients, including their training plans, on any internet connected devices, you should consider this cover.

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Frequently asked questions

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Cover starting at £5 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • What's the difference between professional indemnity and public liability?

    Professional indemnity insurance covers against allegations of professional negligence - which means it would cover you if you were to make an error or mistake in a piece of work (such as a project or report) for a client.

    Public liability insurance covers against allegations of injury or illness caused to third parties by your negligence. This includes many of the slips, trips and falls that are associated with personal injury claims. In addition, public liability insurance covers against damage to third party property - for example, if you were to damage a client-owned laptop or smartphone.

    As they insure against different scenarios, it's important you consider arranging both types of cover to ensure you are properly protected.

  • What limit of cover should I choose?

    Many clients and industry bodies with regulatory requirements will require you to have a minimum level of cover for you to undertake a contract, so it's worth checking this before you arrange cover. If you're unsure, give some thought to a worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved in putting your mistake right. We offer a range of limits on insurance, so you're sure to find the right cover for your business.

  • Why should I choose Markel’s insurance?

    Markel has over 25 years of experience insuring contractors, consultants and self-employed professionals. We insure over 200,000 micro businesses and are highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com.

    We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s and London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023

    To talk about your insurance requirements and better understand our cover, call us on 0800 640 6600 or get a quick quote online.

  • How are Markel Direct regulated?

    Markel International Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.

Expect more from your insurance provider.

We insure thousands of fitness instructors, coaches and professionals, which is why we offer a range of useful services designed to make your life easier (included as standard with the relevant section of cover).

24 hour legal helpline  24/7 access to a legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors

Legal hub access  Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub

  Access our fee dispute service to assist with unpaid invoices

  Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

  A specialist cyber response helpline to help in the event of a cyber attack

 

Discover more about these services.

Cover starting at £5 a month

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