Playfair Fitness Bootcamp A Frame

My Biggest Regret as a Personal Trainer

Picture of RICHARD PLAYFAIR

RICHARD PLAYFAIR

I only have one regret over my decade as a fitness professional.

Yep… it involves spending money. 💸

But it wasn’t on courses, equipment, studio hire, or even my endless coffee intake at the gym.

Nope. It was on something designed to protect me if the worst happened: income protection insurance.

I bought it, then cancelled it after a year… even though it only cost £1 a day. (Yes, £1. One tony terrible coffee.)

Why did I buy it in the first place?

Back in 1997, I tore my ACL playing basketball at the University of St Andrews and only qualified for surgery four years later. Four years! 🏀➡️🏥

So when I became a PT and Group Ex instructor, I knew: if I got injured again, I couldn’t work. No work = no income = no Nandos.

Income protection insurance seemed smart… until I realised it only paid £200 a week. And only if I was off work for 3 months.

Try living on £200/week in London. I’ll wait. 🤦‍♂️

So what would I do differently today?

Easy. I’d turn my expertise into digital products: on-demand workouts, mini online courses, training programs, educational assets.

These are the real forms of income protection.

You invest your time and knowledge once, find your audience… and boom: they pay out, no monthly insurance premium required. 💡

Moral of the story? There are better ways to insure your income than betting on a £1/day policy.