Health and fitness goals remain a top priority for many people, especially during peak sports seasons and moments of renewed motivation. Reflecting this trend, online personal training has become increasingly popular, boosted by the influence of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. However, as more users turn to these services to kickstart or maintain their fitness routines, many overlook the potential risks to their personal and data security. To help users stay safe while pursuing their goals, Kaspersky shares practical tips on how to avoid common cyberthreats and protect their digital wellbeing.
Social media networks are reshaping personal training in ways offline services simply can’t match. By producing engaging content like workout demos, transformation stories, fitness tips, and more, personal trainers are becoming self-made influencers, reaching global audiences and intriguing followers to pay for their services. In fact, the global online fitness market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29.6 percent until 2033.
However, signing up for virtual programs like these often involves sharing sensitive personal information, such as health data, progress pictures, and payment details, with someone you may never have met. Frequently, much of this exchange takes place through the trainer’s social media profile or messaging tools, often without any contracts or adequate formal agreements. This significantly increases the risk of users’ personal information being compromised or misused. While specific breaches tied to online personal training services have not been widely reported, fitness apps have often made headlines for similar mishaps. Given the parallels between fitness apps and virtual coaches, it’s imperative for users to exercise caution.
Among the forms of data misuse in this context are, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Exposure to third-party tools
In the world of online personal training, many fitness professionals depend on third-party services to manage essential parts of their business — such as scheduling workouts, processing payments, communicating with clients, and delivering customized fitness programs. However, not all of these third-party services are designed with cybersecurity as a top priority. If even one of them lacks strong encryption, fails to comply with data protection regulations, or suffers a data breach, it could expose users’ sensitive information, including health data, location, progress photos, and financial details. Worse yet, clients often don’t even realize how many different tools are involved behind the scenes.
This fragmented setup creates multiple points of vulnerability, where personal data might be intercepted, leaked, or misused — especially if login credentials are reused, software is outdated, or permissions are too broad. Therefore, both trainers and clients need to be aware of the tools they use and ensure these platforms meet basic security standards.
2. Exploitation of progress photos
Progress photos are a common part of virtual fitness coaching. Clients often share before-and-after images with their trainers to document physical changes over time, track results, or celebrate milestones. These photos can be deeply personal, frequently taken in minimal clothing to clearly show muscle tone or fat loss, and are usually shared in private chats or via email, often without any formal agreement on how this content will be stored, used, or protected.
These images can be misused in a variety of ways. In worst cases, if devices or messaging platforms are compromised, these images can be leaked online, scraped by bots, or used for identity theft, impersonation, or harassment, especially if they include geotags, faces, or usernames. To reduce this risk, it’s essential for both clients and trainers to agree in advance on how such images will be handled, stored, and whether they can be published, ideally in writing. Additionally, clients should be cautious about what they send, avoid including identifying features, and choose secure platforms for sharing sensitive media.
3. Impersonation risks
Personal trainers who build their business through social media often become micro-influencers, attracting large, trusting audiences. But with that visibility comes risk: if their account is compromised — whether through weak passwords, phishing attacks, or leaked credentials — cybercriminals can take control and begin impersonating them. Once inside a trainer’s Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp account, attackers can message clients or followers under the trainer’s name, asking for personal data, login credentials, or direct payments for “exclusive programs”, “limited-time offers”, or fake consultations. Because the messages come from a familiar account, users are far more likely to comply, especially if they’ve built a relationship with the trainer.
“While these risks may seem alarming, they don’t mean you should abandon online fitness programs entirely. Like you warm up before a workout, you should protect your data before logging in. Virtual coaching can still be a powerful and motivating tool — as long as you stay aware of the potential pitfalls and take steps to safeguard your data and privacy,” says Anna Larkina, Privacy Expert at Kaspersky.
Take proactive steps to protect yourself. For instance:
• Verify the trainer’s identity: research the trainer’s credentials and certifications through reliable fitness organizations. Look for reviews and testimonials from verified clients. Check if their social media profile is verified (blue checkmark or equivalent).
• Avoid clicking on unverified links: never click on links sent via unsolicited messages or emails claiming to offer fitness deals. Instead, navigate directly to the trainer’s official website or trusted platform.
• Check for HTTPS: ensure any website you’re directed to uses HTTPS in the URL, indicating it is secure.
• Avoid oversharing: provide only essential information and ensure that sensitive data, like health records or progress photos, is shared through secure and encrypted platforms.
• Use a reliable security solution like Kaspersky Premium that protects your devices against malware in real time, by blocking malicious sites, phishing emails, infected ads, and credit card skimmers created by hackers to steal your
