MRSA in the News: Employees at a fitness center began reporting a high frequency of severe infections over a period of two weeks. The managers of the facility started investigating these infections and discovered that several members of the fitness center had also contracted severe infections.

Real Life Claims: A 2-year-old boy was brought to a family practice office by his mother for a follow-up visit. In the emergency department, the child received treatment for a friction burn to his right hand after he got it stuck in a moving home treadmill.

Stability balls are quickly becoming one of the most common and widely used pieces of fitness equipment in homes and fitness centers today. They are inexpensive and versatile.

When Sexting Becomes Deadly: An 18-year old girl committed suicide by hanging herself after a nude photo she sent her boyfriend spread around her school. After the young victim and her boyfriend broke up he sent the photo to some girls and the image quickly spread.

Real Life Climbing Wall Injuries: A camper suffered serious injuries after falling 30 feet from a climbing wall. The camper was using safety equipment including harnesses and a helmet. There was also adequate padding on the ground.

Children Filmed by Pinhole Camera in a Locker Room: While inspecting a high school locker room an employee made a startling discovery, a pinhole camera was stationed in one of the lockers and was positioned to catch students undressing and showering. An investigation determined a 17-year-old student placed the camera there and at least one student under the age of 18 was recorded.

Workout Injury Statistics

Over the last ten years, injuries from weight lifting have steadily risen. The American Journal of Sports Medicine recently conducted a study based on the national injury surveillance database to determine the amount, cause, and types of injuries most associated with weightlifting.

Real-Life Stories

Burns from a Treadmill

Improper treadmill maintenance resulted in a fitness center patron suffering severe injuries. She broke her arm and sustained severe friction burns after the treadmill’s belt slipped.

In the News: An experienced YMCA lifeguard preparing to enlist in the Navy SEAL program blacked out during a breath holding exercise. An on-duty lifeguard at the facility noticed him at the bottom of the pool and was forced to perform CPR.

The Yoni Gottesman Drowning: On August 15, 2005, Yoni Gottesman, a four-year-old boy from Santa Barbara, California, went to his very first day of summer camp. Although he was one of the younger kids at the camp, he did his best to keep up with the other kids.