Exercise (activity Or Apparel, W/o Equip)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3299
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Exercise (activity Or Apparel, W/o Equip) carry a danger score of 48/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 267,294 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 48/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 267,294
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 7.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3299 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 48/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume267,294 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)7.9%
- Fatality rate0.10%
- 5-year trend-7%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Exercise (activity Or Apparel, W/o Equip) (CPSC product code 3299, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 267,294 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 5.3M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 48/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (353,818 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (139,467 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) is other to the upper trunk, accounting for approximately 597,028 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the ankle (464,002 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1.0M cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 7.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.10%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 2 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 11,750 | 8,858 | |
| 5-14 | 239,570 | 238,473 | |
| 15-24 | 577,130 | 463,891 | |
| 25-34 | 524,566 | 450,526 | |
| 35-44 | 397,538 | 382,003 | |
| 45-54 | 328,984 | 350,522 | |
| 55-64 | 266,253 | 289,075 | |
| 65-74 | 219,911 | 235,353 | |
| 75+ | 169,902 | 190,830 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Other | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
40YOF PRESENTS TO ED FOR NECK PAIN AND ARM PAIN AFTER FALL WHILE RUNNING ON 1/4. HAD PAIN IN NECK, HEADCAHE AND LEFT UPPER ARM. DURING FALL SLID ALNDING PRIMARILY ON RT HIP AND POSSIBLY HANDS. ABLE TO GET UP AND DO REMAINING 3 MILES W/O ISSUE. FELT MORE MUSCLE TENSION. DX: MUSCLE SPASM
57YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR KNEE PAIN. PT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSENED SINCE THEN WITH INCREASED SWELLING. PT NOTES PREVIOUSLY HE WOULD WALK ADN HIS KNEE WOULD DO SIMILAR BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT IT DID. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RT KNEE. OSTEOARTHRITIS OF RT KNEE. INJURY OF RT KNEE
18YOM WAS RUNNING AND IT FELT LIKE HIS LEFT SHOULDER POPPED OUT OF SOCKET DX: ACROMIOCLAVICULAR SEPARATION
74YOM WAS DOING SQUATS AND DEVELOPED CHEST PAIN DX: CHEST PAIN
16YOM PATIENT WAS AT THE GYM, PERFORMING DIPS AND FELT A POP SENSATION AT THE TOP OF HIS HEAD, REPORTS A HEADACHE, WAS NOT HIT IN THE HEAD OR INJURY DX: ACUTE NONINTRACTRABLE HEADACHE
35YOM WAS JOGGING TO A RESTAURANT AND FELL, HAD BEEN USING ETOH, BAL 128, DX HEAD INJURY, ETOH INTOXICATION WITH AMS
50YOF SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN A SWIMMING POOL AND DEVELOP PAIN IN RIGHT EAR DX OTITIS EXTERNA
64YOF TWISTED LEFT KNEE WHILE TAKING HER EXERCISE WALK NOW ALL SWOLLEN DX:EFFUSION LEFT KNEE
22YOM WITH DOG BITES TO LOWER LEG AND UPPER LEG WHILE JOGGING DX: BITES TO UPPER AND LOWER LEGS
13YOM WAS RUNNING ON THE SIDEWALK WHEN HE STEPPED ON AN UNEVEN SECTION OF THE CONCRETE TWISTING LEFT ANKLE DX: STRAINED ANKLE
31YOF WAS OUT RUNNING IN LOCAL PARK & TWISTED HER LEFT ANKLE , PT SAYS HAS SIGNIFICANT PAIN TO LEFT ANKLE DX LEFT ANKLE PAIN, SPRAIN LEFT ANKLE
86YOF, TRIPPED AND FELL WHILE HIKING TODAY STRIKING HEAD WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND HAS NO HISTORY OF BLOOD THINNER, HAS ABRASIONS TO THE FACE, DX: INJURY OF HEAD
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
We ordered several fitness trackers manufactured by Shenzhen Zhongguan Digital Technology Co. Ltd Brand Name: WATCHSDY Model number 226 from Amazon sold by WATCHSDV store for campers to use at a camp for adolescents and young adults with Developmental disabilities. While wearing the watch the first day, one of the campers experienced pain and on removing the watch there was a first degree burn under the area of the watch. Two days later several of the watches began to "melt" while being worn. They were all new watches that week
I purchased the set of hiking poles in December 2017 from a seller on Amazon. I infrequently used them in the winter and have no physical disabilities related to physical movement. On or about March 29, 2018, I grabbed a single stick just to stand up from the couch I was sitting on. The lower segment of the pole separated resulting in component parts falling onto the floor. I examined the intact working pole and discovered that two plastic parts had become broken and disconnected. I contacted the seller through Amazon and explained the problem. I was not looking for a refund or exchange since they had a 30-day warranty and a 1-year limited warranty. At their request, I sent a photograph and explained my concern about safety. I was sent a video link by the company and an admission that the photo showed that the product was defective. My concern is that they are hiking and walking sticks. The reviews on Amazon presents the narratives of people using them that have walking challenges to elderly people that rely on them for balance. The following is the response I was given by this company. "Hi [REDACTED], I apologize that the product that you received seems to be defective and we take damaged product seriously! "I want to let you know that we make sure that all items such as the one we sent you is working perfectly and in good condition before shipping them out. Kindly see steps on how to properly adjust the poles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5VIHyeTXjc.This video tutorial might help. Kindly tighten the screw with the lever closed instead of open. Let me know if you have additional questions, we'll always be happy to assist you. Best, [REDACTED] Montem Outdoor Gear"
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) have a danger score of 48/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 267,294 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip)?
The most common injury is other to the upper trunk, accounting for approximately 597,028 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1.0M cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip)?
Of all ER visits involving exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip), approximately 7.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (92.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with exercise (activity or apparel, w/o equip)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 48/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.