A study by pre-settlement legal funding company High Rise Financial revealed that the upper trunk of the body, which includes the chest, triceps, and deltoids, is the most injury-prone, with 2,146 total injuries noted in hospitals.
Interestingly, the statistics show that while men are more likely to injure themselves at the gym, with a total of 5,350 injuries in total across the top 10 in the study, women have higher rates of knee, ankle, and foot injuries.
Gym Injuries That End Up In Hospital
By analyzing US hospital admissions data for 2023 from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the researchers examine the rate of hospital admissions due to gym equipment.
While close to 10,000 injuries were identified, the most common gym injuries are:
| Rank | Total | Body Part | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,146 | Upper trunk | 793 | 1,351 |
| 2 | 1,794 | Lower trunk | 761 | 1,033 |
| 3 | 986 | Knee | 525 | 460 |
| 4 | 898 | Head | 419 | 479 |
| 5 | 801 | Ankle | 471 | 330 |
| 6 | 773 | Shoulder | 278 | 495 |
| 7 | 623 | All parts body | 256 | 367 |
| 8 | 570 | Lower leg | 259 | 311 |
| 9 | 557 | Foot | 295 | 262 |
| 10 | 415 | Finger | 153 | 262 |
The upper trunk, or thorax, is the injury hotspot for gymgoers. The lower trunk is second, and the knee comes in third.
Injuries to the upper trunk may cause loss of feeling, weakness, or loss of movement in the shoulder, arm, or hand.
Of the 9,563 injuries recorded, 44% (4,210) were for women and 56% (5,350) were for men. Of these, the lower trunk (abdomen and pelvis) ranks second with 1,794 total injuries, of which men accounted for the majority at 1,033 injuries, compared to 761 mentioned by women.
For knee injuries- ranked third, women reported more injuries than men at 53,3% versus 46,7%. Knee injuries can lead to discomfort, limited mobility, and, in severe cases, the need for medical intervention such as physical therapy or surgery.
A spokesperson for High Rise said that although exercise is essential for health and well-being, it’s necessary to remember that sports and gym activities can also be damaging to our bodies if not performed correctly.
The company advises gym goers to use equipment correctly, even supervised if necessary, to avoid severe issues and injuries to any body part.
The research gives insight into areas that people may want to be more careful of because they seem to be the easiest to injure.
Takeaways
- Men are more likely to injure themselves at the gym than women, but women have higher rates of knee, ankle, and foot injuries.
- Gym injuries to the upper trunk are the most common, followed by the lower trunk.
Simon Turner is a former Obstacle Workout features writer and writes regularly on sports, fitness and adventure for Probody.
