Informed Consent Form Template for Personal Trainers

The informed consent form is used prior to you signing up your personal training client and providing them with a training programme.

Setting up a personal training business means you need to cover all the bases, the personal training consultation provides the opportunity for a personal trainer to assess a potential client’s needs, goals, and current health and fitness levels, and perhaps a more detailed Health MOT.

The PARQ form is a pre-requisite for a client taking part in physical exercise, be that group training sessions or personal training. As a personal trainer, you will also be ‘prescribing’ an exercise program based on your knowledge and expertise.

Good practice dictates that you should obtain consent from your personal training client to train them according to your expertise and set expectations for their training sessions and limitations of them.

This is not a backup from negligence as of course in any such cases you will always be liable. However, it is professional and responsible to use this form with your clients. However, it will help you to reduce liability in any legal case, together with the PARQ.

I have provided the copy for an example informed consent form below together with the downloadable version. You can customise accordingly for your own business needs.

Informed Consent Wording

The purpose of an exercise programme is to help you achieve health and fitness goals

The programme will be based upon your present activity/exercise level and the goals that you wish to achieve. You will experience some feelings of exertion during each activity session and will become hot and uncomfortable at times. If your plan includes certain types of cardioid-vascular exercise. Your breathing and heart rate will increase as a result of these activities as would be expected from physical exercise of this type. As your fitness improves, you will participate in more vigorous levels of activity if this is part of your goal, but these will be within your capabilities.

All activities will be explained and demonstrated but please feel free to ask questions about anything you wish.

Any exercise programme carries with it an element of risk. The sessions will be designed to minimise the risks whilst providing an effective exercise/activity intensity. Please inform the instructor if, for any reason (such as illness or injury which might be aggravated by exercise, or eating certain foods), you should not participate in an activity.

If at any time, you feel undue pain or excessive discomfort, stop the activity and inform your trainer of your symptoms, You are free to withdraw from any activity at any time you wish.

I agree to take part in the programme described to me by the instructor. The nature, purpose, risks and benefits have been explained to me and I understand what is required of me and that I may withdraw at any time.

Informed Consent Forms to Download

When to use this form?

An Informed consent form should be used once your client has agreed to engage you in personal training services. Normally, this form will be completed by the client at the consultation, if that is when the client has agreed to hire your services. Else, it should be completed prior to the commencement of any formal training with your client.