Home Gym Equipment – Keep Kids Safe While You Get Healthy
It’s the beginning of a new year, which means lots of New Year’s resolutions about healthy living habits are being made. Most of the time this includes exercising more, and for busy parents this often means fitting in workouts at home. The creation of both simple and elaborate home gym set ups became incredibly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the years following. Depending on the type of exercise and the commitment level of the parent, various items of gym equipment may be present in the home, including free weights, kettlebells, treadmills, stationary bikes, and large weight stations.
Safety concerns
Different pieces of equipment carry different safety risks, obviously. A study done in 2011 showed that an average of 12,000 children a year are hospitalized for home-gym related injuries. The fact that these are preventable injuries means that we need to do better to educate parents about the safety risks of home gym equipment.
Treadmills: this may be the most significant cause for concern in young children. There are many reports of second- or third-degree burns caused by friction of the moving belt of the treadmill, or entrapment under the machine itself. This has also been shown to cause broken bones, finger amputations, and even death. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled a popular brand of treadmill in 2021 after the death of a child and reports of multiple serious injuries in others.
Stationary bikes, ellipticals and rowing machines: lots of moving parts, gears, and exposed cords or ropes make these machines dangerous for children. Fingers can get caught easily, or children can climb up and fall. Any exposed cord or rope can pose a strangulation risk.
Heart rate monitor cords: found on many different machines, these can cause a strangulation risk if kids play with them. This lead to the tragic death of former boxing champion Mike Tyson’s daughter in 2009. These cords should have a safety mechanism allowing for them to disengage from the machine, but it is still important to make sure cords are secured out of reach of young fingers when not in use.
Electrical cords: many large machines require power cords for use. This poses an electrocution risk if children have access to the cord and plug, as well as risk of children plugging in the machine and using it unsupervised.
Free weights and kettlebells: these are easily dropped by children who do not expect how heavy the weight may be. This leads to broken fingers, toes, and bones of the feet. It can also cause bruising and significant abdominal injury if dropped onto the stomach or chest.
Child-Proof Your Gym
- Children should be supervised at all times when around gym equipment. Remember that children are both curious and imaginative, and are often fascinated with anything “for adults.”
- Be clear and firm that gym equipment is not a toy and is not for play.
- Use gates or playpens for children too young to understand boundaries and rules.
- Always turn equipment off and unplug when not in use. Store cords separately or out of sight.
- Remove the safety key from large equipment when not in use if possible, and store it in a separate location.
- Avoid setting up home gym equipment in areas where children commonly play. If it is possible to have a separate workout room, consider installing a lock on the door.
- Store equipment up high, out of reach. Do not leave weights, cords, jump ropes, bands, or other pieces of small equipment out after using it.
Final thoughts
While conversations regarding the safety risks associated with home gyms can be very doom and gloom, it does not mean that parents should not utilize these resources to stay healthy. Like many other things in life, a home gym set up can be maximized for safety while still remaining true to its purpose, it just takes some planning and thought on the part of the parent. We encourage childhood play outside on playgrounds, while acknowledging that children must be supervised and taught how to use the play pieces safely – the same philosophy applies here to home gyms. I would much rather see a parent use the opportunity to demonstrate how to include regular physical activity into a healthy lifestyle. Children are keen observers of the adults in their lives. If they see a parent making an effort to be active, they will be more likely to be active as well. Be this example for your child, but just be sure to protect them along the way.
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