When the Gym Becomes Dangerous
Data from the Consumer Products Safety Commission reveals the gym can pose some hazards, with more than 50,000 exercisers landing in the ER annually.
Here are some of the most common culprits, and how you can avoid getting injured.
It turns out the treadmill is the most common source of injuries. Falls account for many injuries, not only off treadmills, but stability balls and other balance equipment. Tripping over skipping ropes alone accounted for 169 ER visits.
Oh, and treadmills can be hazardous even if they're not actually on. People trip over them, stub their toes and injure themselves trying to move them (memo to those who want to move a treadmill--they are heavy.)
Some of the other causes of gym injuries:
- Dropping weights on your toes.
- Tripping over equipment on the floor (dumbbells, benches, bands, BOSU's, people's gym bags that-shouldn't-be-in-the-gym-area-in-the-first-place.
- Weight stacks (watch your fingers when you pull the pin out).
- Chrome dumbbell slivers.
Note: This is aside from the numerous exertion, or mechanical injuries that occur everyday in gyms across the world.
One explanation for the increase in incidences may be the use of electronic devices--texting and running don't mix!
How to prevent gym-related injuries
As with many things in life, common sense and common courtesy are central themes here. Be aware of your surroundings and be cognizant of potential hazards. And, don't leave your dumbbells all over the place! Your mother doesn't work at your gym (and even if she does, she shouldn't have to pick up after you).
If you're on the treadmill, do yourself a few favors:
- Be sure it's off. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I witnessed someone stepping on to a moving belt they thought wasn't moving.
- Don't be the dumbass texting or talking on your phone.
- Keep cords and towels in safe places.
- Be sure your water bottle is secure.
- Know your limit, run within it.
With free weights
- Be careful pulling the plates off the weight trees. I've come close to breaking toes/metatarsals by not looking while removing them.
- Say no to chrome dumbbells. I don't know why gyms use them, but they can sliver.
- Watch your fingers when racking the dumbbells!
Other safety tips
- Watch for loose or frayed cables
- With doubled pulley cables, when pulling a pin out, be sure there is no overhead attachment.
Have you ever been injured in the gym? Have you witnessed any incidences or injuries?
"Dropping weights on your toes."
Sorry, I know that's not funny, but I can't keep from laughing.
ReplyI have seen someone fall off a treadmill before. It was really pretty horrible. The treadmill pulled her pants down when she fell - fortunately her underwear stayed on and covered everything it needed to. She really took it like a champ. She just got back on and kept running.
ReplyLOL. This sounds like a scene from those teeny-bopper movies. Don't tell me you didn't laugh. That's funny.
Though I would have gone over after and been like "Cute undies... you're a champ"
Replylol, that's hilarious Ann!! The poor girl, I'd have been so embarrassed. Good for her for getting back on though!!
ReplyOther people are often a gym hazard. I witnessed some entitled jerk pull the plug on a treadmill and send some poor woman flying b/c he decided she'd been on too long. She broke her wrist.
Reply2 more:
If you drop something while on the treadmill, step off and hit STOP before retrieving it. I've seen some people take a bad tumble because they try to grab at their stuff while it's falling.
Put away your equipment already. Don't leave weights, jumpropes, handles, bosus etc... laying all over the place where people *will* trip on them.
ReplyI've never witnessed anyone falling off the equipment at my gym, but I could see it happening pretty easily if you weren't careful. I almost tripped on a treadmill once when my towel fell off the display and landed on the belt. I just stepped around it and let it land on the floor behind me so I could pick it up later. I probably would have fallen squarely on my behind or my face if I had tried to grab it off the belt, though.
ReplyI've sent the benchpress go pear-shaped a number of times. Usually someone runs to quickly spot the poor guy buried under his overloaded bar... but occasionally the weights go crashing to the ground, which followed by a moment of silence as everyone turns to the sound!
ReplyFinal Destination 3 - gym scene. You know what I'm talkin' about.
Replyi work at a gym..i see all sorts of things..scariest would be a man having a seizure on the treadmill and flying off backwards. funniest has to be a girl on the treadmill getting hit in the face with the arm of the person next to her. and i do see a lot of people tripping on treadmills and falling off ellipticals because they're on their phones. leave them in the locker room for the hour or two that you're working out!
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