Researchers from the University of Bath have found that the risk of sustaining serious injuries in sports and exercise is minimal, so you can freely engage in activities like biking and playing soccer to stay fit without worrying about injury.
Fitness benefits outweighs dangers
This study challenges common perceptions about the risks of physical activities, including road cycling, highlighting that the benefits of engaging in fitness pursuits far outweigh the potential dangers. Researchers sought to measure the risk of sports and physical activity-related trauma and provide insights for safer future participation and organization.
In the study, researchers examined data from hospitals across the country to investigate major trauma injuries linked to sports and exercise. Their analysis revealed 11,702 such injuries during the study period.
Dr. Sean Williams a researcher from the University of Bath emphasizes that participating in fitness activities is generally safe and offers numerous health benefits. Although no physical activity is completely risk-free, the likelihood of severe injury is minimal in comparison to the substantial advantages of staying active.
The study assessed 61 sports and physical activities, regardless of popularity, and compared their associated risks. Fitness-related activities like running, golf, dance classes, and gym sessions had the lowest injury rates. For instance, running had 0.70 injuries per 100,000 participants per year, golf had 1.25 injuries, and fitness classes had only 0.10 injuries.
Football has high injury rates
Football had the highest injury rate among popular sports, with 6.56 injuries among every 100,000 participants annually. In comparison, motorsports, equestrian activities, and gliding (paragliding and hang gliding) had much higher injury rates of 532, 235 and 191 per 100,000 participants annually.
The study revealed that injury rates are higher in males compared to females A concerning trend identified in the research is the rising injury risks in popular sports and physical activities worldwide. For instance in Australia, hospital-treated sports injuries increased by 24% from 2004 to 2010, with a major trauma or death incidence of 12.2 per 100,000 participants annually. The United Kingdom also saw a significant increase in serious motorsports accidents, nearly 500%, in the five years leading up to 2015.
