The fitness industry has been recently facing a lot of competition and it’s not only the business who is affected but all the stakeholders in the industry. Stakeholders including instructors, professional fitness trainers, gym members, personal trainers and of course the owners. One might ask how.
Just notice how does a physically fit person spends his day. A considerable part will include engaging in fitness activities and going outside. Isn’t it? Sitting at home eating popcorn, watching Netflix isn’t what he does. So, there are risks of physical injury.
Now, imagine if only one person having a busy routine has a risk of physical injury, what would be the degree of contingency for the sports facility handling dozens of people visiting it regularly? This is where insurance for fitness studios comes into the picture.
Who Needs Fitness Insurance?
Insurance for fitness is beneficial for personal trainers, instructors, gym members, and fitness studios. It goes without saying that they need to cover their risk for what they do daily.
Areas of risk and their coverage
General liability insurance
It is the commercial general liability of the gym towards its clients. Any injury, medical cost, property damage, etc. of the client is covered in general liability insurance. Here are a few examples.
- Client Body Injury
While working out in the gym, imagine if the client gets hurt by any error in the organization of equipment. For example, tripping over an extension cord that wasn’t meant to be placed there. If the injury is minor, it won’t hurt the fitness center or the client. But if it is something major, the client can file a lawsuit for reimbursement. Now, these expenses are covered in general liability insurance.
- Damage to Client’s Property
The victim of a mishappening can be a client’s property. For example, the client’s bag just got hit by heavy weights in the gym and the smartphone broke into pieces. These expenses are huge and must be covered in the insurance policy.
- Legal Assistance
As the client can file a lawsuit against the instructor, there are some expenses and formalities to be fulfilled with the court. The insurer will also help you fulfill these formalities and expenses if it is mentioned in the policy.
- Professional liability insurance
It is related to omissions and errors by the business that hinders professional and personal services. These are some examples where professional liability insurance comes into the picture.
- Personal Injury
Any injury to the client, instructor, personal trainer who was performing a physical exercise in the gym comes under the definition of personal injury in professional liability insurance. As the example given about a physically busy person all around the clock, these cases are quite common and must be taken care of. Sometimes, the physical injury is not immediate, and it can occur after the gym hours (for example, just babe, heart condition, dizziness, mental anguish). These are also very crucial to be covered.
- Negligence
Negligence can be on the part of the instructor, or anyone who is performing the physical exercise. Any negligence from an instructor can invite strict legal actions. However, negligence from the part of the client can also be covered in professional liability insurance.
Both these types of insurance policies are essential for the gym to be combined in a way that benefits everyone. Don’t be negligent in choosing one, otherwise, you won’t have a margin for error to save yourself.
