Fitness Business Insurance Guide — Australia

Typical claims

• Member slips on a wet shower floor and breaks a wrist.
• A dropped dumbbell damages a neighbouring tenant's plate-glass shopfront.
• Group fitness participant in a park collides with a passer-by during a drill.

Not typically covered

• Injuries directly caused by exercise prescription — that's professional indemnity.
• Damage to your own equipment — that's tools and equipment cover.

Typical claims

• Member alleges a programmed exercise caused a disc injury.
• Online coaching client claims a periodisation plan caused stress fracture.
• Nutritional supplement advice within scope leads to an adverse reaction.

Not typically covered

• Advice outside scope of practice (e.g., medical diagnosis, treatment of injury).
• Failure to refer a member to a medical professional when warning signs were present — disputed coverage.

Typical claims

• Group fitness instructor injures shoulder demonstrating an exercise.
• Front-desk staff slip on wet entrance during opening shift.
• PT develops repetitive-strain injury from spotting heavy lifts.

Not typically covered

• Independent contractors (ABN-based PTs renting space) — they need their own personal accident cover.
• Sole-trader owner-operators — they typically need separate income protection insurance.

Typical claims

• Reformer bed damaged in transit between studios.
• Treadmill electronics fried by power surge during a storm.
• Mobile PT kit stolen from vehicle overnight.

Not typically covered

• Wear-and-tear — only sudden, accidental damage or theft.
• Equipment loaned out to clients — typically excluded without an extension.

Typical claims

• Member with undisclosed cardiac condition collapses during a class — waiver and PAR-Q+ were completed and screening flagged a referral to GP, which member ignored.
• Pre-natal member injured in unsuitable session — pre-screening had flagged pregnancy and an alternative program was offered.

Not typically covered

• Waivers don't cover gross negligence — the operator's duty of care still applies.
• Waivers don't cover injuries caused by faulty equipment — separate liability path.

Typical claims

• Burst pipe overnight damages timber sprung floor and reformer beds.
• Break-in damages glass entrance and steals point-of-sale equipment.
• Fire from a neighbouring tenant damages your fit-out.

Not typically covered

• Damage to the building structure if leased — landlord's policy covers the building shell, yours covers the fit-out.
• Wear-and-tear or deferred maintenance.

Typical claims

• Fire in a neighbouring tenant forces 3-month closure for smoke remediation.
• Flood damages reformer beds and timber floor, 8 weeks of revenue lost.
• Insured equipment failure stops 24/7 access for 6 weeks during repair.

Not typically covered

• Voluntary closure or loss-of-member events (e.g., a key trainer leaving).
• Pandemic-related closures — most policies now explicitly exclude infectious disease.

Typical claims

• Ransomware encrypts member database and billing records.
• Phishing attack on front-desk email compromises 8,000 member records.
• Cloud platform provider breach exposes member personal and health data.

Not typically covered

• Breaches caused by gross failure to apply security patches over an extended period.
• Pre-existing breaches that began before the policy started.