Affiliate Guard Insurance Program - Functional Fitness Training Gym Insurance

Affiliate Guard is an insurance program geared towards protecting functional fitness training studios, specializing in CrossFit gyms. The program began in 2009 and has continued to grow and flourish, to provide the most comprehensive insurance coverage in Canada, at competitive rates.

The team at BrokerLink has firsthand knowledge of the activities at CrossFit studios. Joanne LeGal, who started the program, has been a proud member of CrossFit Kitchener since August, 2009. She has also participated or volunteered in functional fitness competitions since 2011.

Functional fitness training is a form of high-intensity interval training, centred on strength and conditioning. While engaging in this type of class is a great workout, that much rigorous physical activity also comes with risk, so if you own a gym in Canada that specializes in this type of training, it’s a good idea to have the right insurance in place.

Keep reading to learn more about functional fitness training insurance in Canada, and how BrokerLink can help you find the right policy for your studio.

Why should I purchase specialized insurance for my gym?

Operating a functional fitness gym, like other types of fitness studios, inherently comes with risk of potential lawsuits. Your customers and employees expect a certain level of safety when they enter your gym, but safety can’t be guaranteed at all times.

Functional fitness gym insurance can protect your fitness studio against a wide range of risks, such as slip and fall, or if a participant injures themselves while using a piece of equipment. As well, if an accidental fire damages your gym, you would have to pay to repair it out-of-pocket unless you have the right functional fitness gym insurance policy in place. No matter what type of facility you operate, whether it’s a traditional gym, rock climbing centre, yoga studio, or functional fitness gym, you need insurance to protect it from risk.

Below are some of the most common liability risks these gyms face:

• Third party injury: for example, a client drops a piece of equipment, such as a dumbbell or kettlebell, on their foot and breaks a toe, or pulls a muscle after failing to stretch and claims it was the trainer’s fault for pushing them so hard.
• Property damage: for example, a fire breaks out and damages your studio and equipment.
• Defamation: for example, the owner of a fitness centre across the street claims that one of your trainers has been badmouthing their gym and sues you for slander.

What kind of insurance do I need to protect my gym?

The best way to protect your gym in Canada is to purchase a specialized insurance policy that is tailored to your operation, to protect you from the specific risks you face. And you’re in luck, because protecting your fitness centre just got easier thanks to BrokerLink. We have experts who specialize in gym insurance and will be able to find a policy that suits your functional fitness gym in no time.

Here is some of the coverage that can be included in your functional fitness training gym policy:

• Professional liability
• General Liability
• Commercial Property
• Cyber Liability
• Personal and advertising injury
• Host liquor liability
• Children’s programs

* Ask us about special coverage available for friendly, in-house competitions!

Read more about the main types of coverage available and get in touch with us today.

Professional liability insurance

Professional liability insurance covers legal fees if a claim of negligence, misconduct, or failure to deliver an advertised service is brought against your gym. This can come in handy if for example, a trainer advised a client to lift a particular weight and they ended up injuring themselves and filing a lawsuit against you and your operation.

General liability insurance

Commercial general liability insurance, also known as “slip-and-fall insurance” covers your gym against claims of third-party property damage or bodily injury. This type of coverage will generally compensate you for medical expenses and legal fees, regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome. It’s also especially important for gyms as they might be at a greater risk of third-party bodily injury than the average business.

Cyber liability

Most modern gyms have an online component, whether a booking system or an inventory of clients’ personal information (including their medical information). Therefore, having cyber liability coverage can be important as it will protect you from financial losses relating to data breaches and hacks.

Commercial property insurance

Commercial property insurance protects your gym and its contents from covered losses, such as fire, flood, theft, or vandalism. This type of coverage may also include business interruption coverage, in the event that you lose income due to an insured peril.

Personal and advertising injury

Personal and advertising injury provides coverage for a third-party injury caused by an advertised product or service.

Product liability insurance

Product liability insurance covers you if a product you manufacture or sell results in third party property damage or bodily injury and a claim is made against you. This type of coverage can be useful for gyms that sell fitness equipment, supplements, beverages, or any other products.

About Joanne LeGal

Joanne has more than 30 of experience as an insurance broker. She began her career at Reed Stenhouse (now Aon), in Calgary, and moved to Toronto where she eventually found her way to LMI Canada, which was acquired by BrokerLink in 2021. An avid learner, Joanne attends courses and seminars regularly, to keep up with current industry information, including CrossFit seminars (weight-lifting, power-lifting, rowing, etc). She is totally committed to the CrossFit Affiliate Insurance program, and will continue to make it bigger, better and more cost effective then any other alternative out there!

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