Author: Tegan

09:25:38 GMT • 14 January 2025

Your Guide To Dog Boarding Licences

18 April 2018

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5 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

As a pet business insurance provider, Protectivity receive a large number of queries about the rules surrounding the need for a dog boarding licence.

The rules about what licence you require and how you operate can vary slightly between different local authorities. However, the overriding statements regarding licensing of this type of business are covered in the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 and Animal Activity Licensing Regulations 2018.

Who needs a dog boarding licence?

According to the act, anyone running “an establishment, whether a private dwelling or not, where a business is conducted for the provision of accommodation for other people’s cats and dogs” needs a licence.

Therefore, anyone running a commercial enterprise whereby they are looking after a third-party’s animal needs to closely pay attention to the licensing regulations.

How do you apply for a licence?

Licenses are handled by local councils, as opposed to being managed by centralised government. Depending on your location, it may be possible to apply online, while other councils will require you to post your application form.

Another varying aspect of the process is the cost. The price of an application is set by the authority and can start from as little as £70 a year for a dog only licence, to over £300 for a joint cat and dog licence with some councils.

The whole application process, on average, takes three to four weeks to complete before you will receive your licence. Some authorities apply ‘tacit consent’ to applications. This means that if you haven’t had your application explicitly rejected within a set time-frame of applying, you are able to start boarding. This is something to check with your local authority when applying for your licence.

What will you need to prove?

The requirements that councils will have before approving a licence are fairly self explanatory.

You will likely be subject to an inspection of your premises by a council official. During this visit your suitability to accommodate animals, through your provisions to provide clean and safe boarding, your skills and knowledge of what is required of boarders.

The health of the animals that you will be looking after is likely to be seen as paramount. Therefore, it will be a requirement under your licence that you keep a record of every animal that you take in, as well as any specific needs or health issues that they may have. You may need to provide a copy of this documentation if a council official or vet were to visit your premises while you are in operation.

Another prerequisite of obtaining a licence is insurance. Local councils will request that they see a copy of an insurance certificate that covers you for Public Liability (as a minimum) before granting you a licence. Having this cover in place gives you protection against legal costs that might ensue if a dog in your care was to injure a third-party or cause damage to their property.

Things to remember if home-boarding

As well as speaking to your local council, reading the full the specific section of the Animal Welfare England Regulations 2018 on home boarding will give you an in-depth understanding of animal boarding licences.

Much in the act may not be relevant to you, but here are five other key things you need to remember when running a boarding business from your own home:

If you have your own dog, or will be boarding dogs from multiple households, written consent must be gained from your clients stating they agree to their dog being kept on the same premises
Dogs must be accommodated within the home and have direct access to a private, non-communal, secure and hazard-free external area
Each dog must have it’s own safe, clean and warm designated room where it can be kept separate from other dogs if necessary
No dog registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 can be accepted
Puppies that have not completed their inoculations must not be boarded

If you are operating without a licence, the punishments are clearly set out. You can be prosecuted and sentenced to up to three months in prison and fined up to £500.

For anyone already operating, that does not hold a licence, it is advised that you contact your local authority immediately. Doing so doesn’t instantly mean you will be prosecuted. It is possible that the council will require you to stop boarding animals while they process any application from you for a licence. However frustrating it may be to curtail income from boarding clients may be, it is important to ensure you are fully licensed to avoid further punishment.

About Us

We’re one of the leading providers of insurance for pet businesses, and we offer a variety of tailored products such as Dog Walking, Pet Sitting business insurance and Dog Grooming Insurance policies.

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09:25:18 GMT • 14 January 2025

5 Legal Things To Remember Before Becoming A Dog Walker

24 January 2018

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6 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

Setting up a business as a dog walker is, on the face of it, a fairly straightforward enterprise. Minimal equipment is needed, there is no requirement to have multiple qualifications (though this helps), and the financial outlay is reasonably small.

However, for everyone starting a dog walking business there are a few legal things to consider. While you may be chomping at the bit to get out there and work with your canine clients straightaway, make sure you know how to become a dog walker properly by following these legal requirements.

Here, we cover the legal dog walker requirements, as well as the importance of dog walkers’ insurance, so you know you’ve got everything covered.

Register with HMRC

If you are setting up your own business and becoming a professional dog walker it is important that you register with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It may be that you are going it alone, known as being a ‘Sole Trader’ or setting up a wider business with employees and (potentially) higher turnover, in which you could be registered as a ‘Limited Company’.

By becoming your own boss you become responsible for things such as paying tax and National Insurance. After registering as a self-employed dog walker you will be expected to complete a self assessment tax return each year. Through this you will be required to pay income tax on any business profits over £11,500 a year.

National Insurance will also be due if you pass that threshold. Starting off at around £2.85 a week, the outgoings are relatively small, but important to remember. If your business is particularly successful you will end up paying a higher rate, as well as being liable for VAT if your profits exceed £85,000 in a year.

Obtain a DBS check

While paying for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check isn’t a legal requirement, being able to show your potential clients that you are a trustworthy person is well worth doing. An outlay of around £25 for a basic background check gives you extra kudos when it comes with comparisons with the competition.

Keep a record of all that you do

Not only are you legally required to keep a record of your incomings and outgoings for tax purposes, it can also help you run your professional dog walker business more economically.

When completing your tax return it is important to include every instance of income to the business in order to correctly calculate the amount of tax you should be paying. By also including your business outgoings you also avoid paying too much tax.

‘Allowable expendables’ include things such as dog leads, bowls, commercial vehicles and marketing your business and are taken into account when calculating the tax you pay. Keeping a record of such expenditures will ensure your business doesn’t overpay.

Records are not only good for financial reassurance, but also to help your business run smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Keeping track of whose dog you are walking and when, and ensuring all clients have signed some form of business contract with you (recommended), helps you maintain a professional dog walker set-up for your business.

Make sure you know the laws

There are a number of laws and acts that relate closely to canines. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is probably the most well-known, but do you know exactly what it says? Having a basic knowledge of the rules and regulations regarding dogs and the law can only be useful when it comes to running your business.

If you intend to walk dogs in a rural area, be aware that under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, landowners and farmers may hold the power to shoot dogs that come onto their land if they feel their livestock is under threat, for example. Although the likelihood of this happening is extremely minimal, with the knowledge in hand, those offering dog walking services will know not to put their clients’ pets into potentially dangerous situations. You can find a handy round-up of the various laws involving dogs on the Kennel Club website.

It’s not just national laws that you should research either. An increasing number of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) are popping up around the country. These rules stipulated by local councils may ban dogs from being walked in certain locations or may restrict the number of dogs you can walk at one time. Always check the rules in your area before becoming a professional dog walker.

Get the best dog walker insurance

It may be least exciting of these aspects, but getting full public liability insurance for dog walkers is important. Having cover in place will protect you if a client’s dog is injured, lost or attacks another dog or person. If you are blamed for any of these instances, you risk facing legal action from the third party. The costs associated with compensation claims can soon rack up into the thousands of pounds.

With pet business insurance in place, you can cover yourself and your business for such claims. Some insurance providers will also cover you for handling your clients keys as well as damage to your business equipment.

Get the best dog walker insurance

If you’re looking for dog walking insurance, look no further than Protectivity. We can offer you expert cover to protect you against any unexpected incidents when you’re out dog walking, including £100,000 of Care, Custody and Control cover should an animal get injured, lost or killed. With the right cover, you can do your best job with full peace of mind that you’ll be covered if something goes wrong.

Once you have all of these things in place, you know how to become a dog walker and you are ready to go. Starting your own business is a big step and while a career working with dogs sounds like a dream job to many, there are a plenty of legal requirements and considerations to mull over.

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09:24:57 GMT • 14 January 2025

Strava: A personal trainer’s friend or foe?

10 January 2018

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4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

The ever-developing world of fitness wearables and apps may appear to make the role of a traditional personal trainer becoming obsolete. However, there’s no reason to say that fitness professionals can’t harness the power of this software to develop the coaching programme they offer clients.

Strava, the app many regular cyclists and runners will undoubtedly be au fait with is one example. Embracing the simple, yet effective capabilities of Strava is something that more PTs should, arguably, be doing.

The benefits are such that the app, rather than completely intrude on the personal trainer’s purpose, can aid the motivation, and ultimately satisfaction, of their clients.

The ability to track runs, be it marathons or a gentle jog, and bike rides is Strava’s main offering. This, therefore provides trainer and client alike with the simple solution of how to monitor progress. Whether it is speed of a completed run, or distance managed in one exercise session, all this can be accounted for.

Figures recently released by Strava claimed that there were 136 million runs uploaded to the system in 2017, over four runs a second. This is before you take into account the millions of cyclists sharing their rides with the world.

With so many users, those looking to get fit have a huge go-to community to share, compare and compete against. Whether they are looking to beat the time recorded on a run by a friend, stranger, or themselves, having a competitive target on the self-styled ‘social network for athletes’ is always good.

Fellow Strava users don’t have to be seen as just competitors though. By pushing clients to use Strava, they introduce them to a community of encouragement and organised events.

For example, the Strava Mile saw 35,789 users share their 1.6km runs with the hashtag #MyMile. Although it wasn’t a single run or single day, the sheer number of those sharing their story and competitive nature saw 47% of users set a new personal best time in the month of June 2017.

What’s more, the sense of community and encouragement coming directly from other users is sure to spur clients to push themselves further. A total of 2.3 billion ‘Kudos’ were given from one athlete to another over the course of 2017 – that’s a lot of encouragement!

The role of the personal trainer doesn’t have to end with the sign up of the app though. By tracing their clients’ steps, PTs can think up new challenges, routes and targets to set their fitness-focused customer.

One element of the app that may step on the toes of personal trainers is Strava Premium. For less than £50 a year, users can access workout plans as part of their subscription. The costs involved in a subscription to this service are far cheaper than hiring a PT. The quality of the plans offered aren’t sacrificed though.

Each routine is provided by Carmichael Training Systems and McMillan Running, two leading players in the fitness planning sector. Therefore some people looking to improve their fitness may decide that shelling out for a personal trainer is a cost they can do without.

However, what Premium does lack is a personal touch. Having a dedicated fitness professional shape a programme around an individual’s needs and circumstances can far surpass the capabilities of a piece of software.

For those that find their clients tempted to go it alone with Strava Premium, it is a case of convincing customers that a personal trainer is the way to go.

Ultimately, there is a fine line between personal trainers being able to take advantage of the apps’ capabilities and the software negating the need to hire a PT. Indeed, with newer and better apps and software released each week, fitness professional may be fighting somewhat of a losing battle. But for for now at least, it’s certainly worth coaches investigating how Strava can work for them.

Is your Personal Trainer Insurance up for renewal soon? Get a quote and switch to Protectivity today and you could save.

All Strava information from: https://blog.strava.com/2017-in-stats

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09:24:25 GMT • 14 January 2025

12 Days of Fitness: The Ultimate Christmas Workout

27 November 2017

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2 mins read

Contributors

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

Amongst other things, Christmas is often a time of feasting. Endless turkey, treats and maybe a tipple or two can lead to a slip-up in our daily fitness routine.

That’s why we’ve put together this handy workout to ensure that in the build up to the big day on December 25th, our body is all set for a ‘cheat day’ or three.

So as Christmas day gets nearer we urge you to give our 12 Days of Fitness a go. Each day, just add the next drill onto your exercise plan, until you have the full 12 item schedule down to a tee for your ultimate Christmas workout.

There’s no need to stop when we pass into the new year either; this great circuit is fun to try at any time!

If you’re one of many people that will start 2018 with the New Year’s Resolution to get fit, remember to take all precautions to avoid injury. That includes a good warm-up and stretch, as well as warming down once your work-out is over.

Furthermore, having good Sports Accident Insurance in place will mean that should you suffer a serious gym injury, you could be entitled to claim. Get a quote today and see how you can get protected.

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09:24:13 GMT • 14 January 2025

Six questions personal trainers need to be able to answer

11 October 2017

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4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

Personal trainers are sure to be on the receiving ends from both clients and prospective clients. Being able to answer those queries could be the difference between a booking and a missed opportunity.

Attracting clients isn’t necessarily all about achieving results. Someone looking for a PT is far more likely to sign up to a trainer with an approachable, knowledgeable personality, than one that simply trains, and little else.

Here are seven questions you should be able to answer if a potential client asks:

Will hiring a personal trainer really help?

According to Google, there are, on average, 110 searches a month for “Are personal trainers worth it?” (and close variants). That is a large number of people that personal trainers need to convince of their merit.

When advertising your business, or meeting a potential client it’s important to have a clear answer to this question. Being able to pin-point the specific things you can help that person with will act as a check-list of the things they are looking for. Think about not only why hiring a personal trainer in general is worth it, but also about why you in particular are the trainer for them.

What qualifications do you have?

One of the questions that doesn’t have an open answer. Ensuring you are qualified to teach is vital – as you are unlikely to get insurance without it. Be clear in your mind which courses you have completed and relay that information proudly to your customers.

If you’ve taken a slightly unusual or more advanced course, make sure you shout about it. Advertising this without clients having to ask can only be a good thing.

What is your fitness philosophy?

Although every client is going to have different goals, it’s likely you have your own targets for each client. It could be that you are of the belief that stronger is simply better. Maybe you are more focused on better all-round health, or even simply focused on building a client’s self confidence.

There is no right or wrong answer here, but knowing what your fitness philosophy is will help a prospective client make up their mind easier.

What is your training style?

Like the question above, different fitness professionals will approach sessions in different ways. Some will simply give instructions and step back and observe, others will be train in a more full-on boot camp-style manner. Some clients might not like a trainer who is particularly loud and strict, others may want that encouragement and direction.

There is no right or wrong answer here, but knowing what your fitness philosophy is will help a prospective client make up their mind easier.

How long will it take for me to see results?

Although results might not be the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to attracting clients, once you have them, it’s all about reaching their goal. Of course, the length of time it takes for clients to achieve their target depends on their input too, but having some plan is ideal.

From there, clients can more easily see their progress. So if their goal is to lose two stone in 10 weeks for example, they know they’re on target if they’re a stone down after five.

Managing expectations is a major part of being a personal trainer. It is likely you will get questions surrounding hitting results when speaking to clients. By being able to answer them clearly you will instil confidence in them.

Where are you insured?

OK, we may have stuck a seventh question in there, but make sure you know the answer. Protectivity Personal Trainer Insurance starts from just £4.29 a month with full Public Liability and Professional Indemnity cover. Get a quote today!

We also offer gym liability insurance for personal trainers who own their own gyms too.

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09:23:54 GMT • 14 January 2025

Revealed: The Best Towns To Become A Dog Walker

20 September 2017

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4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

Becoming a professional dog walker has been lauded as one of the UK’s fastest growing careers. A study in 2015 suggesting that walkers could earn up to £64,000 a year certainly provides enough temptation to take up the profession.

Of Protectivity’s customers, two-thirds said they became a commercial dog walker due to their love of canines or had previously worked with dogs. Another 25% were attracted to the prospect of a more flexible lifestyle the job afforded.

And if you’re thinking of taking up the profession there’s still room for manoeuvre, despite growing market competition.

According to Google there are 14,800 searches a month for “dog walker” in the UK, while the phrase “local dog walker” attracted 590 hits a month.

But where is there most demand for dog walkers in the UK?

How many people are looking for dog walkers?

Nearly 2,500 of searches came from the Greater London region – more than treble of Greater Manchester in second place.

However, with a population of over 8.5 million, seeing the capital on top-spot is hardly surprising. When taking the size of population into account it is actually the county of Hampshire that tops the pile.

Google suggests that there are around 550 searches for “dog walker” from Hampshire a month and with a relatively small population (comparatively) of 1.64 million, there’s plenty of room for more walkers.

Where are the most common searches?

Breaking it down even more we are able to reveal the UK’s top five towns and cities looking for a dog walker.

With a high search volume persisting, starting a dog walking business in the UK still has it’s merits. But should you reside in Harrogate, Peterborough or another location in our top 10, there’s even more of an incentive.

We’ve also taken a look at the potential competition. Using Yell listings we’ve given each town a ‘competitiveness rating’ out of 5, based on the number of other walkers in the area – five being the most competitive.

Here’s where there is the most demand for people to walk the dog…

The research found that one of the best places for would-be dog walkers was Stroud in Gloucestershire. Despite a relatively small population of 13,000, the townspeople perform 90 Google searches for dog walkers a month. That translates as a higher percentage-per-person than any other town in the UK.*

Where is the toughest competition?

Walkers will have competition for those canine clients though, with a relatively high number of fellow dog lovers already enjoying the profession according to Yell listings.

Conversely, those in Peterborough and Folkestone both have a large search volume per person, with very little competition. According to Yell.com there are just 15 dog walking businesses within 10 miles of Folkestone, while Peterborough – a town of 78,000 people – can boast just 23.

Other high scorers in our search research were the towns of Harrogate in North Yorkshire and Falkirk in Scotland. The former was only beaten by Stroud when it came to searches-per-person with 320 queries from those looking for walkers each month.

If you do take the plunge and become a full-time dog walker, remember to ensure you are fully covered. Our dog walking insurance protects you and the dogs you walk. Get a quote today to take advantage of our instant cover!

*Ranking based on Google’s estimated search volume for “dog walkers [town]” in relation to the population of that town. Only towns with 50 or more average monthly searches were included.

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09:23:38 GMT • 14 January 2025

The Professional Dog Walker’s Guide to Facebook Advertising

1 August 2017

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5 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

Starting a business as a professional dog walker is becoming more and more popular.

But with all the growth of the industry comes competition. In a business scene where every dog counts, ensuring you attract enough clients to pay the bills is becoming tougher.

Facebook has become the go-to place for dog walkers and owners alike to congregate and tout for business. There’s a good reason for this too. With the personable approach, the ability to focus on your location and the community spirit provide a fantastic arena to finding a professional walker to take care of your dog.

Three-quarters of the dog walkers asked in a recent Protectivity survey said they used the social networking site to promote their business. However, only six percent said they had turned to paid-for advertising to provide that added reach.

It could be that many walkers are missing a trick here. With even the smallest advertising budget you can really hone in on the people you really want to target.

Here are the three big reasons you should be using Facebook Advertising

Targeting the right people is easy

As a professional walker there are two things any prospective clients must be 1) dog owners and 2) reasonably local. With Facebook advertising, you can filter just those people. Want to show yourself off to as many dog owners in your community? Easy, just select the ‘Reach’ Objective when setting up your advertising campaign before you go and you’re on your way.

From there you can expertly target your desired audience. Select your location, plus the radius you are looking to cover to ensure you’re only going to pay for your advert to appear in front of your local residents.

Then, scroll down to the ‘Detailed targeting’ area to filter out those dog walkers you want to advertise to. By inputting the phrase ‘Pet Owners’ in the box you can find those that Facebook believes has a pet of their own due to their online activities. Filter that down further by clicking the ‘Narrow Further’ button and inputting the word ‘Dogs’. This will highlight those people who like pages that relate to dogs as well as being pet owners.

So, with a targeted campaign hitting pet (probably dog) owners in your local area you don’t need to waste money approaching people who will not be your customers

It can be extremely cheap

A career as a dog walker is unlikely to bring in mega bucks. Therefore, many dog walkers will be wary of spending unnecessary cash on advertising. However, showcasing your business with paid adverts doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

In fact, for as little as £1 a day you could reach many hundreds of potential customers.

Using the criteria highlighted above, using High Wycombe (and the surrounding 10 miles) as our location, we were able to create an audience of just over 8,000 people. With a daily budget of £1, Facebook suggests we would be able to get our advert in front of between 710 and 1,500 of those people each day.

With a one-hour walk costing dog owners anything between £7 and £11 approximately, pull in just one new client a week and you can recoup the costs of your advertising spend. Deliver a good enough service to that new client and with their repeat business soon adding up, the initial outlay pales into insignificance.

It looks much more professional

While touting for business within dog walking discussion groups is all well and good, putting out a well-made advert looks far more professional.

Pick out a nice image, be creative with your copy and deliver a bespoke campaign right to the heart of your potential clients’ newsfeed, rather than a plain, forgettable post in the local dog walking group.

If you haven’t already, think about some branding for your business. Maybe create a logo, nail down some company colours or maybe use a regular canine subject for your ads. Build that familiarity that will mean dog owners think of you when they are considering a walker and you will already be one step ahead of the competition.

Facebook advertising isn’t a substitute for the more stripped-back community group based approach. But by adopting some basic methods, the difference made for your dog walking services could be plain to see.

If you are operating without a licence, the punishments are clearly set out. You can be prosecuted and sentenced to up to three months in prison and fined up to £500.

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09:23:22 GMT • 14 January 2025

3 ways for personal trainers to pull in clients

24 July 2017

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4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

According to a 2017 study there are now over 23,000 personal trainers in the UK. Never has there been a more important time for PTs to stand-out from the fitness professional masses.

A recent survey from Protectivity showed that for 33% of personal trainer insurance customers, attracting clients was their biggest headache. In second place were the 20% of respondents who claimed that standing out from the crowd was the top challenge they face.

The two problems certainly go hand-in-hand, so what can PTs do? Understanding how to gain personal training clients isn’t a straight answer but we feel three actions could go a long way to helping…

Spend a little on advertising

Over half of the fitness professionals we asked in our survey said they didn’t engage in any form of paid advertising. However, although some may see it as an unnecessary outlay, for a relatively small expenditure you can hit your target audience hard.

Personal trainers could print out 500 business cards or flyers and ask local gyms or health clubs if they would keep a pile on their reception desk, for example.

But what could really be key here is social media. Two-thirds of our PTs have a Facebook page for their business, yet less than a quarter use Facebook’s advertising options.

For as little as £1 a day you could splash your business’s message across the news feed of those people you need to.

Set up a location target of your operating area, home in on those who Facebook deems to show some interest in fitness, gyms, dieting (whatever your speciality, really), knock up some attractive designs and away you go! Rather than waiting for your customers to find you, you can go out and search for them.

Always look to learn

Just because you have become a fully-fledged professional personal trainer, don’t let complacency sink in. There is always more to learn about your industry, from new workouts to try, to changes in legislation as to what you can and can’t do.

Making sure you are on the front edge with these new developments can give you a distinct advantage over some of your rivals. Read, read, and read some more to keep up to date with what is new in the fitness industry, both locally and nationally.

Personal training clients, and society in general, so often want to experience something new before it becomes the norm for the masses. By becoming the first personal trainer in your area to offer a specific service, or to get your hands on the newest piece of kit you become the chosen option for your local market.

Share your knowledge and become an expert

With your new-found skills and knowledge it’s up to you to go forth to share your pearls of wisdom. However, it’s not just your current clients that could benefit.

Set up an online blog and write about what you are learning. Share hints and tips on what is working for you and your clients, and maybe include a testimonial or two.

Use the aforementioned social advertising, as well as asking friends and family to share links, to get your blogs read by your target audience. Build up a good readership and you will soon become recognised as an ‘expert’ in your chosen field.

With trust gained that know exactly what you are talking about, someone looking to work with a personal trainer is far more likely to pick you over a professional they have no previous experience of.

Produce good content that people will share and you should have a solid readership in no time, and a group of potential clients all looking to you for advice.

These are just three things that personal trainers can do to stand out in an increasingly competitive market place. On top of everything, delivering a promised service to your clients will be the real test. However, use these examples and you could have a bigger customer base to use as proof of your expertise.

Knowing how to gain clients in the personal training industry can be underlined with these key points. Try out some of these ideas and see if you can improve your proposition to your customers.

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09:22:54 GMT • 14 January 2025

41% Of Gym Users Have Been Injured Whilst Working Out

13 July 2017

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3 mins read

Contributors

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

A recent study has revealed that two in five Brits have injured themselves whilst training. While this may not be a massive number, it serves as a stark reminder of the need for insurance in the gym and fitness industry.

Research by personal injury solicitors Hayward Baker showed that as much of the UK looks to get in shape for the summer, injuries are never far away, with 41% stating they have suffered an ailment in their journey to a fitter self.

And with the gym being the workout location of choice for much of the population, it’s unsurprising that many of those injuries occur there.

The study

“This is the time of the year that many injuries and accidents can happen,” a spokesperson for Hayward Baker said.

“It’s vital you understand how all the equipment works and that you know your limits.”

Ensuring clients know how gym equipment works is very much in the gym or personal trainer’s interest. Should a gym-goer injure themselves and deem their PT or the gym itself is to blame in one way or another, legal action could follow.

While the most common problem suffered in the research was a simple sprained ankle (21%), serious injuries can spell big trouble for businesses.

One in 20 of those that responded to the survey claimed that they were never shown how to use gym equipment properly. In this situation, the gym could be liable for thousands of pounds in damages. This would come after a potentially costly legal case.

Costly insurance claims

Protectivity have received a number of claims from gyms and personal trainers after clients were injured. These ranged from tripping on a gym mat, to falling off an exercise ball to one claim of a barbell falling on a claimant’s face.

The average cost of these claims hammers home the need for comprehensive insurance. The median value of claims from gyms and PTs after injuries to clients exceeds £8,500. One claim reached the value of £5,000 when a customer dislocated a knee when falling over, while another gym claimed for over £10,000 when a customer injured muscles in their leg after doing an exercise. The most expensive of these reached an eye-watering £30,000.

These figures may seem extreme, but with the latest figures showing that gym injuries are extremely regular, they need to be considered. Without insurance cover, these claims could have seen the gyms or fitness professionals dig deep into their pockets to fund their defence in court, before having to pay any damages that are deemed necessary.

Gym manager or Fitness Professional?

If you are a professional trainer or run a gym, insurance is vital. Head to our Gym Insurance or Personal Training page to get a quote today.

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