Five activities made up 45% of all sport and recreation injury claims: fitness training/gym, rugby union, football, cycling and netball.
In 2024, ACC accepted more than 60,000 gym-related injuries at a cost of more than $63 million to help people recover.
Auckland (28,513) had the highest number of gym-related injuries in 2024 ahead of Canterbury (6,514), Wellington (5,728) and Waikato (4,930).
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said it was great to see more New Zealanders prioritising their strength and fitness, but encouraged people to have a plan.
“We also want people to take a moment to think of the risk of injury. ‘Have a hmmm’ before you get stuck into the gym,” Whitaker said.
ACC data showed that 96% of all gym injuries in 2024 were soft-tissue injuries, meaning strains, sprains and pulls on muscles. The most common areas were people’s backs and shoulders.
There were also 751 people who suffered a fracture or dislocation in the gym in 2024.
The age group most impacted by gym-related injuries in 2024 was the 30–35 age group with 8,421 claims, ahead of the 25-29 age group with 8,077 claims.
“We know that injuries don’t just affect the person, they can impact their friends, whānau, workmates and teammates. It is always better to prevent injury [from] happening in the first place,” Whitaker said.
Five ACC recommendations for people to prevent gym injuries
1. Complete a dynamic warm-up.
2. Ease into it – going too hard too soon can lead to injury.
3. Get advice from a registered personal trainer - you can find one near you on the website for REPS, the registration body for Exercise Professionals and Facilities.
4. Be realistic and listen to your body. Go at your own pace.
5. Have recovery days and, if you do get injured, take time to recover and don’t rush back into training.
