Most forms of exercise are overwhelmingly safe, but don’t ignore the dangers

The research, funded by the British Medical Association, shows that even forms of sport sometimes considered risky by the public, such as cycling, are generally safe, suggesting that the benefits of taking part in fitness activities far outweigh the hazards.

This is the first time in England and Wales that researchers have attempted to describe and quantify the relative risks of trauma from sport or other physical activity. It is hoped that the results of the study will make it easier for both participants and activity organizers to make their activities even safer.

Data for the new study – published today in the journal Injury preventionpublished by BMJ – came from rural hospitals, where participants in sports and exercise showed extensive trauma.

The researchers found that between 2012 and 2017, a total of 11,702 trauma injuries resulted from sports and exercise.

Dr. Sean Williams, researcher at the Department for Health and the Center for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention at the University of Bath, and lead researcher on the study, said: “This work shows that practicing fitness activities is generally a safe and way is to exercise. useful pursuit.

“While no physical activity is completely without risk, the risk of serious injury is extremely low compared to the numerous health and wellness benefits gained from staying active.”

The study examined 61 sports and other physical activities undertaken nationally, regardless of their popularity, and provided a comparable estimate of the risks to participants.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, fitness activities (such as running, golf, dance classes and gym sessions) are the least likely to lead to injury. Running results in 0.70 injuries, golf 1.25 injuries and fitness classes only 0.10 per 100,000 participants/year.

Of the sports with the highest participation, football had the highest incidence of injuries (6.56 injuries/100,000 participants/year), although this is also relatively small.

Motor sports, equestrian sports and gliding (paragliding and hang gliding) were by far the riskiest activities of those surveyed, with motor sports causing 532 injuries, equestrian sports 235 and gliding 191 injuries per 100,000 participants.

The incidence in men (6.4 injuries/100,000 participants/year) was higher than in women (3.3 injuries/100,000 participants/year).

Why is exercise becoming riskier?

Perhaps worryingly, the risk of injury in popular sports and other physical activities is increasing internationally. In Victoria, Australia, for example, the annual number of hospital-treated sports injuries increased by 24% between 2004 and 2010, with an incidence of sports-related major trauma or death of 12.2 per 100,000 participants/year.

This trend is mirrored in Britain. This is highlighted by data from a regional trauma and spine unit, which has found an almost 500% increase in the incidence of serious motorsport accidents in the five years to 2015.

Dr. Madi Davies, lead author of the study and a former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath, said: “When I looked at the injuries recorded in 2012 – the year the study started – it was clear that the risks were significantly lower. than in later years of study.”

She called for further research, ‘in real time’, to understand exactly how and why more people are being injured.

She said: “While the finding that more people are being injured may be multi-faceted – trauma data recording has improved during the study, meaning more injuries are now being recorded – it is important that any increase in burden is responded to, and that this data is used to make activities safer.”

Serious injury is a clear burden on hospitalized participants, their families and the NHS. The aim of this research is to reduce these burdens by identifying the injury risk of each activity and then coordinating action.

“Many sports and recreational injuries are preventable,” says Dr. Williams. “Whether that’s through protective equipment, rule or law changes or education, once we identify how and where injuries occur, we can start thinking about ways to prevent them in every sport.”

It is hoped that this work will lead to the development of a national registry with real-time data analysis capabilities. The register would standardize the recording of serious injuries resulting from sport and physical activity, so that trends or patterns of risk can be quickly identified and responded to.

An example where this has already happened concerns trampoline safety. Sales of garden trampolines boomed in 2005 and by 2014 up to 250,000 had been sold in Britain. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), working with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, has identified a spike in trampoline-related injuries and made recommendations to improve safety, which range from limiting trampolining to one person at a time, keeping children under the age of six off trampolines and purchasing models that are enclosed in a safety net.

In addition, trampoline manufacturers were supported to meet safety standards, for example by adding padding around trampolines. Commercial partners were also involved to improve safety at trampoline parks.

As a result of the RoSPA directive, serious accidents have fallen significantly.