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Health and fitness facilities are always in motion. They must both keep current clients happy and add new features in order to reach out to and attract more customers. If a facility does not offer the latest or trendiest class, another facility will lure its clients away.
Rock climbing walls, sparring rings, swimming pools, kettlebells, spinning, Zumba, and Pilates are just a few of the current offerings. Old methods are quickly discarded as new ones are picked up.
Personal trainers, masseuses, nutritionists, and other consultants are available to work with clients for a charge. Independent contractors often provide these services. They may work at only one facility or many facilities, and even provide at-home services.
As the facility owner tries to balance the needs of new clients versus existing clients a key challenge is how to protect the inexperienced client from being injured by attempting activities meant for more experienced ones. |
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Here is a possible loss scenario:
Owen and Audrey are ready for a change. They have switched from cooking shows to the Biggest Loser, are motivated to lose some weight, and join Fit ‘n’ Trim Fitness Center. They know the trainers there can make the difference. They carefully consider their options, and choose Brad to guide them on their way. During their third session, Brad ramps up the incline on the treadmill and Owen slips backwards. He reaches out to break his fall and catches Audrey, causing both of them to fall. The ambulance is called and both are treated for pulled muscles and closed head injuries.
Owen and Audrey decide to return to their cooking shows and also to sue Fit ‘n’ Trim and Brad. The Fit ‘n’ Trim suit alleges that the equipment was placed incorrectly and was too close to other equipment, allowing Owen to grab Audrey. It was also too close to the wall, and that caused the closed head injuries. They sue Brad for pushing Owen beyond his capabilities. |
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The health and fitness industry consists of a variety of individuals and businesses that strive to help people become healthier. The insurance industry is very interested in providing the coverage needed to keep the health and fitness industry healthy. The first part of providing the coverage is to understand the exposures and the markets interested in insuring them.
David A. Palmer, Senior Broker at Burns & Wilcox, says, “Like most service industries, clubs are always trying to reinvent themselves. Joe Gold, the founder and former owner of Gold’s Gyms, would never have envisioned salons in his clubs. His clubs were into sweating and a true physical workout, not ‘fluff items.’ Many health and fitness clubs today are trying to be one-stop facilities.”
“We write a wide variety of exercise and fitness facilities,” says Jennie Carr, Commercial Underwriter for Arlington/Roe & Co., Inc., “including those withf childcare exposures, physical therapists, nutritionists, pools, massage operations, juice and snack bars, tanning and toning. We also write physical trainers, martial arts studios, yoga, Pilates, racquetball, etc. We look at 24-hour locations, climbing walls, and indoor sports courts. Finally, I am starting to see more niche market options like pole dancing classes, hula hoop classes, and Zumba.”
David Lehman, Commercial Underwriter for Roush Insurance Services, Inc., arranges coverage for aerobic studios, exercise and health clubs, personal trainers, masseuses/massage parlors, dance studios, weight lifting gyms, climbing walls, aquatic centers, physical therapists, tai chi, and yoga studios.
Mr. Decker says, “We write the entire range of health and fitness facilities, from the small personal training, yoga, and Pilates studio all the way up to the large national chains and full-service health and fitness clubs. We also write individual policies for fitness, yoga, and other types of instructors.”
Coverage is written in both admitted and non-admitted markets. Western World, USLI, Scottsdale, Northfield, RSUI, Philadelphia, Century Insurance Group, Markel, Lloyd’s, and USF Insurance Companies are some of the companies that provide coverage.
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