10 gym injuries causing the most hospital admissions

The study, conducted by pre-settlement legal funding company High Rise Financial, analyzed US hospital admissions data for 2023 from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to examine the rate of hospital admissions due to gym equipment. Researchers calculated how often each body part was mentioned in practitioners' comments and ranked each body part on the highest-to-lowest number of mentions. The final ranking is based on the total number of times an injury is mentioned and split by gender to reveal any differences.

The upper trunk takes the lead as the most common injury hotspot. The total of 2,146 injuries recorded include 1,351 mentioned by men and 793 by women. The upper trunk refers to the thorax, and injuries to this part of the body may cause weakness, loss of feeling, or loss of movement in the shoulder, arm, or hand.

The lower trunk ranks second with 1,794 total injuries. Again, men accounted for the majority of these, with 1,033 injuries, compared to 761 mentioned by women. The abdomen and pelvis are part of the lower trunk.

Knee injuries are third, with hospitals recording 986 admissions. For this part, women reported more injuries than men, 525 versus 460, respectively. Injuries to the knee can lead to discomfort, limited mobility, and, in severe cases, the need for medical intervention such as physical therapy or surgery.

The head occupies the fourth position with 898 injuries. Of these, 479 were reported by men, while 419 were reported by women. Head injuries vary in severity, ranging from concussions and hematomas to more serious conditions like skull fractures. This emphasizes the importance of taking precautions during physical activities to minimize the risk of such injuries.

The ankle rounds out the top five, with a total of 801 injuries. Men reported 330 injuries, while women reported 471. Ankle injuries can vary from fractures to sprains and strains, and to more serious ligament damage, often requiring rest, rehabilitation, and sometimes surgical intervention for recovery.

Men are more likely to injure themselves at the gym, with a total of 5,350 injuries compared to 4,210 for women. However, women have higher rates of knee and ankle injuries.

A spokesperson for High Rise Financial High Rise Financial commented on the findings, “While doing exercise is extremely important for our health and wellbeing, it’s necessary to remember that doing sport and gym activities can also be damaging to our bodies if not performed correctly.

“Making sure to be using equipment correctly, possibly supervised, is imperative to avoid severe issues and injuries to any body part. This list provides an insight into areas that people might want to be more careful of as it appears that they are also the easiest to injure.”