With gyms reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the ability to train clients in person now possible, it’s likely that business might be picking up and that you’re needing to readjust the way you handle business. It’s still important you follow CDC guidelines and abide by any local and State mandates, and just as important is how you go about protecting yourself and your clients. Aside from your basic cleanliness standards, another layer of protection you need in place is liability insurance for personal trainers which protects you against third-party liability claims that result from your personal training operations.
So, what are a few tips to keep yourself and your clients safe as you train? Let’s go over them.
1. WIPE DOWN EQUIPMENT
People have a hard enough time doing this without there being a pandemic, but we all know nothing is worse than wanting to use a sweaty machine.
Encourage your clients, yourself, and your co-trainers to be in the habit of wiping and disinfecting machines for optimum cleanliness. You can accomplish this in a number of ways which could include the following ideas.
- Customers/Patrons: Provide some type of sanitizing wipes or sanitizing solvent and some sort of paper towel for clients and strategically place them around the gym to encourage their use. You’ll also need to provide trash receptacles nearby for proper disposal. Also you could print visible signage to educate patrons on any new protocols you require or encourage them to perform.
- Trainers/Co-workers: Provide supplies and train your staff to perform routine cleaning throughout the day. You can create a simple checklist for them to follow or even provide incentives if they perform all of their assignments throughout their shifts.
Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, but it will help you get started to promote a clean, safe environment for your customers and fellow coworkers.
2. SANITIZE YOUR HANDS
Washing your hands between every workout may be overkill, but you can never be too cautious. Your workplace should have multiple hand sanitizer stations placed in your gym to help with this. If this is not possible then you might want to carry some hand sanitizer with you to share with your client as you move through a session.
3. LIMIT PHYSICAL CONTACT
Despite being able to be back in the gym with your clients and the rest of your town, you still want to limit the direct physical contact you have with people. This typically means trying not to shake hands, give hugs, or anything else that requires direct contact. You want to be courteous and respectful during such an odd time.
4. BE CONSCIOUS OF OTHER RISKS
As much as you need to be more conscious of public health safety measures during a global pandemic, as a personal trainer you should be aware of the risks you take on at all times. The best way to protect yourself against these risks is to carry liability insurance for personal trainers. With liability insurance for personal trainers, you protect yourself against claims that your training caused anyone harm.
Did you know that being a personal trainer means you’ve taken on the risk and professional liability of giving professional advice in a gym setting where heavy equipment is used at all times? If you were to be training someone and you overexerted them causing them to drop a weight on themselves then they could sue you for negligence. With liability insurance for personal trainers, you avoid worst-case scenarios and the financial loss usually associated with a lawsuit.
STAY SAFE
Playing a part in the safety of your community means following work guidelines at all times—as a personal trainer, this means facilitating a safe clean environment and carrying liability insurance for personal trainers. With liability insurance for personal trainers, you not only give yourself a layer of protection against potential lawsuits but you also show you care about your clients, profession, and your employer (the one who requires the insurance). One lawsuit would not only affect you but them as well.
Insurance Canopy has made purchasing liability insurance for personal trainers easier than ever by offering an online application that you can fill out in less than 10 minutes. Simply tell us what you do, whether you offer nutrition services–which you’ll have the option to insure in an endorsement–where you do it, and then whether you’d like to make a yearly payment of $159 or monthly payments of $15.
The best thing you can do is get insured with liability insurance for personal trainers online within minutes, so do it today!
