Exercise equipment caused more injuries than any other sports activity in the U.S. in 2024, with injury rates climbing 16.4% year over year.
Soccer injuries surged 24.4% in a single year and have risen 219.4% since 2020, the largest five-year increase in the study.
Even lower-ranked activities such as track and field and boxing posted some of the fastest-growing injury rates nationwide.
Many physical sports produce injuries, but they pale in comparison to the number of Americans who are injured before they ever get on the field or court.
An analysis of 2024 data, conducted by digital signage company OptiSigns, using National Safety Council injury data, found that exercise equipment produced the highest injury rate of any sports or recreational category in the United States.
Exercise equipment injuries averaged 136.84 injuries per 100,000 people over the past five years, surpassing bicycles and accessories, which ranked second at 124.12 injuries per 100,000. Basketball, football, and playground equipment rounded out the top five.
Researchers said the findings point to a growing need for better injury prevention and more visible safety communication in gyms and recreation facilities.
“Exercise equipment outpaces bicycles and accessories by more than 12 points, making gym-based equipment the single largest source of sports and recreational injuries in the country,” the report said.
Soccer injuries soar
While exercise equipment led overall injury rates, soccer posted one of the steepest increases.
The study found soccer injuries jumped 24.4% from 2023 to 2024 and have increased 219.4% since 2020 — the largest five-year growth among all activities tracked.
Track and field activities showed the biggest one-year increase, climbing 28.4% between 2023 and 2024. Racquet sports also recorded a sharp 23.5% increase.
Football injuries rose 20.1% year over year, while playground equipment injuries increased 20.5%, according to the report.
Injuries are rising across the board
Researchers noted that all 15 sports and recreational categories in the dataset recorded year-over-year injury increases in 2024, suggesting a broad nationwide trend rather than isolated spikes.
Ten activities, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, and exercise equipment, posted uninterrupted annual injury increases every year from 2020 through 2024.
Volleyball injuries rose 169.4% over the five-year period, while hockey injuries climbed 139.7%. Boxing injuries more than doubled during the same timeframe despite ranking last overall in average injury rate.
The report also found that lower-ranked activities are now growing faster than many traditionally high-injury sports. Track and field, which ranked 14th overall by average injury rate, recorded both the fastest year-over-year increase and one of the largest five-year jumps in the entire study.
The study analyzed National Safety Council Injury Facts data covering 15 sports and recreational activity categories from 2020 through 2024. Injury rates were measured per 100,000 U.S. residents, with rankings based on five-year average injury rates.