60% of home gym injuries involve kids under 10

Over 60 percent of all injuries involving fitness equipment at home involve children younger than 10, the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) reported Monday.

According to the agency, the Consumer Injury Surveillance System, which collects information of dangers and injuries nationwide, reported a total of 207 cases of injuries caused by gym equipment at home between 2016 and 2018, or about 60 each year.

Some 61.4 percent of all accidents involved children under the age of 10. Over half of the injured children were under the age of three.

Exercise bikes were the leading cause of injury among children, accounting for 31.5 percent of accidents. Weights accounted for 23.4 percent of child injuries, while exercise balls and treadmills each accounted for 19.3 percent. The most common injuries were lacerations, at 37.9 percent, followed by bruises, at 25 percent, and bone fractures, at 15.3 percent.

“We received reports of children getting trapped in cycling and running machines, trapped under weights and falling off gym balls,” said a report released by the KCA.

“It’s necessary for guardians to take special caution when children play around fitness equipment as accidents may occur,” it continued.

The agency also advised consumers to store equipment in locations inaccessible to children, clean surrounding areas before exercising and turn off the power on fitness equipment after workouts.

Across all age groups, exercise bikes were the leading cause of injury at 29 percent, followed by treadmills, weights, exercise balls and other equipment including jump ropes, trampolines and resistance bands.

Some 34.3 percent of injuries were head injuries, while 30.9 percent were injuries to the hands and arms and 24.2 percent hurt feet, legs and bottoms.

The KCA vowed to help prevent accidents by working with retailers, such as discount stores, to ensure customers were informed of fitness equipment risks and proper storage methods before purchase.

BY KIM EUN-JIN [kim.eunjin1@joongang.co.kr]