Tough times for fitness industry

The health & fitness industry has had to adapt dramatically to Covid-19 restrictions in 2020. Despite increased interest in keeping fit and healthy from the British public, fitness instructors and gyms were, for the most part, swapped for online classes and fitness apps during the country’s successive lockdowns.

Without a doubt, the impact on the whole industry has been huge - but it’s now possible to quantify that impact. New research from Quotezone.co.uk, a price comparison platform that helps instructors and personal trainers compare fitness instructor insurance quotes, reveals that the number of full-time fitness instructors dropped by 67% in 2020, with a 75% drop in part-time instructors.

The research used fitness instructor insurance data compiled during the first national lockdown in the spring and compared it to the same period in 2019, with an overall sample size of 2,000 fitness professionals from 2019-2020.

Interestingly, women make up 80% of the part-time workers, perhaps trying to fit in additional work and income around busy family lives.  Supporting the view, a McKinsey report in October found that women’s jobs were more vulnerable during the pandemic than men’s, likely due in part to the unbalanced responsibility of unpaid care carried by women. Even before the pandemic, women were responsible for 75% of unpaid care*, however, the pandemic and resulting restrictions, including closed schools and nurseries, has exacerbated this imbalance.

Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “When we analysed the data, it was clear Covid-19 has impacted the fitness industry from all angles but with dwindling numbers of females entering the industry, especially full-time, it’s even more important to ensure their income is protected against possible liability claims.

“Understandably with less income, the temptation to cut expenses grows, especially if fitness instructors cut hours to work part-time, they are perhaps less likely to secure public liability covercompared with full-time workers. However, no matter what the hours, protecting against client injury claims is a wise decision as it can help to protect your reputation and financial assets.”