Insuring the Active Lifestyle Boom: A New Playbook for Fitness Risks

CINCINNATI, OH – January 20, 2026 – As Americans increasingly embrace active lifestyles, fueling a boom in boutique gyms, niche sports, and wellness services, a new collaboration aims to provide the specialized financial backbone these businesses need to thrive. Great American Insurance Group’s Specialty Human Services Division has joined forces with specialty program administrator Novacore to launch a comprehensive Sports & Wellness Program, targeting the unique and evolving risks of the modern fitness industry.

The partnership combines the financial strength of a legacy insurer with the agile, tech-driven expertise of a modern program administrator to address a market that has outgrown one-size-fits-all insurance policies.

A Market in Motion Creates New Exposures

The wellness economy is no longer confined to traditional health clubs. Today’s landscape is a vibrant ecosystem of specialized studios for yoga and martial arts, high-intensity franchise fitness centers, and a surge in amateur sports leagues for everything from soccer to the rapidly growing phenomenon of pickleball. This expansion, while a positive indicator of community health, has created a complex web of liability exposures that generic business insurance often fails to address.

These active lifestyle businesses face risks ranging from participant injuries during a high-intensity interval class to property damage at a rented sports facility. Furthermore, the rise of virtual fitness coaching and the use of wearable technology introduce new digital-age liabilities, including data privacy concerns and questions over professional responsibility when instruction is delivered remotely. The new program is designed to step into this gap, offering tailored protection for a sector that has become integral to public well-being.

A Strategic Partnership for Specialized Protection

The collaboration leverages the distinct strengths of both organizations. Great American Insurance Group, with roots dating back to 1872 and a current “A+” (Superior) rating from AM Best, provides the robust carrier strength and financial stability that gives policies their weight. Its Specialty Human Services division brings decades of experience insuring organizations focused on community enrichment.

Novacore, building on the 35-year track record of its predecessor NSM Insurance Group, contributes its focused expertise in program administration. The firm acts as the architect of the program, using specialized underwriting, advanced technology, and premier risk management services to build policies that fit the precise needs of the sports and wellness industry.

“Studios and wellness facilities are at the heart of healthy communities,” said Kevin Duke, Divisional President of Great American Specialty Human Services, in a statement announcing the initiative. “By working with Novacore, we’re able to offer coverage that addresses the specific risks and opportunities these businesses face, from group fitness to emerging activities like pickleball.”

This sentiment is echoed by Novacore, which sees the partnership as a way to bolster a vital economic sector. “Our collaboration with Specialty Human Services reflects a shared commitment to supporting the growth and resilience of the sports and wellness industry,” added Adam Blom, Vice President of Novacore’s Sports & Wellness Program. “We’re excited to help organizations and operators access the coverage and expertise they need to thrive.”

Beyond Basic Liability: Crafting Comprehensive Coverage

The Sports & Wellness Program moves beyond basic general liability to offer a suite of coverages designed for the realities of running a fitness or sports organization. The comprehensive offering available through independent insurance agents nationwide includes several critical protections.

Professional Liability is paramount for trainers, coaches, and instructors, protecting them against claims of negligence or inadequate instruction that lead to client injury. As fitness becomes more personalized, this coverage becomes increasingly vital. The program also includes Accident & Health coverage to help pay for medical expenses if a participant is injured, a key offering for camps, leagues, and tournaments.

For organizations working with younger participants, Sexual Abuse & Molestation Liability provides a crucial, though difficult, layer of protection. Meanwhile, Cyber Liability coverage addresses the growing threat of data breaches, which is a significant concern for any business that collects sensitive client health information or processes payments online. The program also offers policies for Property, Umbrella Liability, and Directors & Officers (D&O) liability, protecting the physical assets and leadership of these organizations.

Addressing the Risks of Tomorrow's Fitness

A key differentiator of the new program is its forward-looking approach to risk. The explicit mention of pickleball highlights an awareness of how quickly recreational trends can create new insurance needs. However, the program's scope extends to even newer, technology-driven risks that are reshaping the industry.

The proliferation of virtual fitness classes, for example, creates a gray area for liability. An instructor has no control over a client's home environment, yet may still be held responsible for an injury that occurs during a live-streamed session. Similarly, the data collected by wearable fitness trackers, while useful for motivation, presents significant privacy risks if not properly secured. As fitness businesses increasingly incorporate AI for creating workout plans, they also take on new legal exposures for the advice generated by these algorithms.

By offering specialized underwriting and risk management services, the Great American and Novacore program aims to help business owners navigate these complex challenges, ensuring they are protected not just from the slip-and-fall on a gym floor, but from the digital-age liabilities that come with running a 21st-century wellness business. This proactive stance provides a critical safety net, allowing operators to innovate and adopt new technologies with greater confidence.

The program is being distributed through a network of independent insurance agents, who are being equipped with a specialized product backed by a top-rated carrier. Novacore's investment in technology, including its "SportsCONNECT" instant quoting portal, is designed to make it easier for agents to serve this niche market efficiently. This allows agents to act as expert consultants, offering their clients in the sports and wellness space a level of protection that is as dynamic and specialized as the businesses they run.