HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire a fitness instructor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to fitness instructors in any UK nation. Here are the checks, what to ask and what the price should include.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a fitness instructor in five steps

  1. Ask for the qualification levelAnd the awarding body — check it.
  2. Check insurance and first aidBoth current.
  3. Tell them about your healthInjuries, pregnancy, conditions.
  4. Agree the format and priceOne-to-one or group, venue entry included or not.
  5. Know the cancellation ruleBefore you book.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or statutory register applies to fitness instructors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the title is not protected. Ask for the qualification and check it with the body that awarded it.

Ask the fitness instructor for the qualification, the awarding body and the date, then check with that body yourself.

Protected health titles

A fitness instructor may not call themselves a physiotherapist, physical therapist, dietitian or sport and exercise psychologist unless they are on the HCPC Register — using one of those titles, or implying it, without registration is an offence under the Health Professions Order 2001.

If the fitness instructor offers injury treatment or diet plans under one of those titles, search them on the HCPC Register. hcpc-uk.org →

Criminal record check for sessions with under-18s

Training children is regulated activity when a fitness instructor does it on more than three days out of any thirty, or overnight; from 1 September 2026 being supervised no longer takes it outside. England and Wales: the enhanced DBS check with the children's barred list. Scotland: PVG scheme membership. Northern Ireland: an enhanced AccessNI check. No check is needed to train adults.

For a child's sessions, ask to see the certificate or PVG proof and read the issue date. gov.uk →

First aid

The 1981 first-aid regulations cover a self-employed fitness instructor's own needs; no law makes them provide first aid for clients, but HSE strongly recommends planning for the public. Public liability insurance is the cover that pays if you are injured in a fitness instructor's session; HSE says a business with employees will probably need employers' liability insurance too.

Ask whether the fitness instructor holds a current first-aid certificate and what they do if someone collapses — including where the nearest defibrillator is. Ask the fitness instructor for the insurer's name and the policy dates. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

Fitness instruction from a commercial instructor is standard-rated at 20%; only non-profit eligible bodies get the sports exemption. An instructor over £90,000 must charge VAT and show it separately; a sole trader under the threshold charges none.

Ask the fitness instructor if VAT is in the price, and for the VAT number if it is. gov.uk →

“What fitness qualification do you hold, and at what level?”

A good answer: A named level and awarding body.

“Are you insured as a fitness instructor?”

A good answer: Public liability, with the insurer named.

“Does the fitness instructor have first aid, and what is the emergency plan?”

A good answer: A certificate in date and a clear plan, including the nearest defibrillator.

“Do you run a health check before the first fitness session?”

A good answer: A questionnaire and a chat about goals.

“Is venue entry included in the fitness session price?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no.

“Can you adapt for my injury or pregnancy?”

A good answer: Yes, or an honest referral.

“What is the cancellation rule?”

A good answer: Written down.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends the session — the fitness instructor you booked or cover, employed or subcontracted
  • Session or class price and length
  • Venue or gym entry included or extra
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% as its own line — the sports exemption is for non-profit eligible bodies, and an instructor under £90,000 charges none
  • Cancellation terms written down — a class or session booked for a fixed date is a leisure service, which the 14-day cancellation right does not cover (regulation 28), so the fitness instructor's own terms decide
  • Block discounts and expiry
  • Equipment provided

Walk away if

  • No qualification you can check
  • No insurance or first aid
  • No health questions first
  • Uses a health title without HCPC registration
  • Pressure to buy blocks or supplements
  • Unsafe technique left uncorrected
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£60

What a fitness instructor costs: £20–£60 per session

Fitness instructors charge per session or class; one-to-one costs more than group sessions. Fitness Instructor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Fitness instructors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Health checkQuestionnaire and goals.
  2. Warm-upMobility and light cardio.
  3. Main workoutLed by the instructor.
  4. Technique coachingCorrections to keep it safe.
  5. Cool-down and adviceStretching and ideas for between sessions.

Level 2 / Level 3
Common fitness qualification levels.
PAR-Q
Health questionnaire.
Circuit
Stations of exercises in rotation.
Public liability insurance
Cover if you are injured.
Regulated activity
Frequent work with children needing DBS, PVG or AccessNI.
Block
Several sessions bought together.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep notes of the programmeTo keep going alone.
Check how you feelSoreness fades; pain that persists needs a GP or physiotherapist.
Use or ask about the blockKnow what happens to unused sessions.
Write the reviewHonest detail about this fitness instructor helps the next person choose. If it went badly, start with the make-it-right step so they can answer.

STEP 1Put the complaint to the fitness instructorA short email is enough: what, when and what would put it right. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a fitness instructor who charges for the sessions must take reasonable care and skill (section 49), and section 54 lets you require a fix at their expense or a reduction.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen a booked fitness instructor gets under four stars, you choose whether they see the problem first, and we follow it up with them. Then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineNo regulator oversees a fitness instructor, so a fitness instructor who will not engage can be referred to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales (0808 223 1144 in Welsh), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsA claim against a fitness instructor for money back can go to court without a solicitor — £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a fitness instructor: questions people ask

No. No licence or statutory register applies in any UK nation.

Only for regular sessions with under-18s: enhanced DBS in England and Wales, PVG in Scotland, enhanced AccessNI in Northern Ireland.

Ask for the qualification and awarding body and check with that body.

£20 to £60 a session, typically around £30. One-to-one costs more than group sessions. Read the fitness instructor price guide for the factors, then search above to see fitness instructors in your area.

At 20% if VAT-registered; the sports exemption covers non-profit eligible bodies only.

Get it treated, then tell the instructor in writing. A fitness instructor in business owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: Personal TrainerHow to hire: Group Fitness ClassesHow to hire: Bootcamp InstructorHow to hire: Mobile Personal TrainerHow to hire: Boxing TrainerHow to hire: Strength & Conditioning CoachHow to hire: Running CoachHow to hire: Wellness CoachAll 701 hiring guides →

Fitness instructors near you

Fitness instructors in LondonFitness instructors in ManchesterFitness instructors in BirminghamFitness instructors in GlasgowFitness instructors in BelfastAll fitness instructors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HCPC — professions and protected titles
  2. HCPC — misuse of title
  3. gov.uk (DBS) — regulated activity with children
  4. gov.uk — change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026
  5. mygov.scot — who needs PVG scheme membership (personal employers)
  6. nidirect — AccessNI checks for the self-employed and personal employees
  7. HSE — first aid FAQs (first aid for the public)
  8. HSE — get insurance for your business
  9. gov.uk — Sport supplies that are VAT exempt (VAT Notice 701/45)
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — exceptions to the right to cancel
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  12. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  13. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  14. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  15. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  16. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register