Cover your buns when offering online fitness classes. Here’s how.
The past year has created an immense opportunity for fitness instructors to re-invent their business model.
Pre-COVID, going to the gym or yoga studio or Crossfit was more common than streaming an online fitness class.
But all of that changed, of course, with COVID.
Here’s what happened with my yoga teacher client Sindhuja: (not her real name for confidentiality reasons)
Sindhuja was a yoga teacher who rented space for in-person classes 3x a week. When COVID hit and she couldn’t teach in person, she knew she needed to get creative in order to support her clients and bring in cash quickly.
She wanted to send an email to her students announcing new 1-on-1 yoga sessions via Zoom. She used her online scheduler Calendly and made time slots available. She wanted it to be easy for her clients to schedule and pay for their sessions.
But Sindhuja then reached out wondering….
Do I need my clients to sign anything legal for online classes?
For her in-person classes, her clients signed a waiver. But she thought it was required because she was face-to-face with them and could see if they had the right form or help them with asana modifications.
After all, she couldn’t reach through the Zoom screen in online classes to help students with their poses. And due to crappy internet connections, sometimes it was hard to even see her client clearly on the screen.
She worried about her legal risk and didn’t know whether she needed to cover her buns differently for yoga classes offered online rather than in person.
That’s when I gave her this Legal Love™ Tip:
Yes, you need to limit your liability for offering online fitness classes or sessions.
This is a common worry for yoga teachers, fitness instructors and personal trainers who are taking their work online, so I’ve created an all new DIY Online Fitness Liability Waiver for them to use.
This is a simple liability waiver which lets your online fitness clients know that you’re not liable for how they’re moving their body, or for whether they’re using proper form, or for any injuries that may incur.
Oh and this isn’t just for 1-on-1 sessions. It can also be used if it’s a group class or a series of 1-on-1 classes – the client just needs to sign it once.
Learn more and get your DIY Online Fitness Liability Waiver here.
Sindhuja felt a million times better knowing what she needed to do on the legal front to bring in income in this new way.
She actually wrote me and told me that she was really loving the freedom of offering yoga sessions via Zoom. It was a win-win for her and for her clients.
Not sure if this waiver would apply to your situation? You’re welcome to reach out to my team at clientlove@lisafraley.com and we’ll be happy to address your questions.
If you aren’t a yoga teacher or fitness professional, but you know someone who is, feel free to forward this email to them so they know how to protect themselves through online Zoom fitness classes.
Here’s to covering your buns for online fitness classes so you can get back to helping your clients take care of themselves and their bodies.
You may opt out at any time.
