Inexperienced coaches, improper technique, insufficient warming up, over-training and not recovering properly were some examples.
“It’s about having that awareness of your limitations,” Coley said.
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said lifestyle changes were leading more New Zealanders to hit the gym, resulting in more injuries.
Whitaker’s advice was for beginners to ease into strength training.
“It can be tempting to jump right into intense training, but going too hard too soon might increase your risk of injury.
“It’s better to start off gradually and go at your own pace.”
ACC data shows gym and fitness training is now the leading cause of sport and recreation injuries, ahead of rugby union and other sports such as football and netball.
In 2024, ACC accepted more than 60,000 gym-related injury claims, which came at a cost of more than $63 million to help people recover.
For the Manawatū-Whanganui region, more than $1.1m has been spent so far this year.
The most common type of injury over the past seven years has been soft-tissue injuries, followed by fractures and dislocations.
More than 800 claims in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in 2025 have been for soft-tissue injuries.
Historically, there is a national peak of new injury claims around August, September and October, with October, in particular, recording a high number of claims.
The Manawatū-Whanganui region was no outlier, recording 123 new claims in October last year.
ASAP Training co-owner and personal trainer Kelsey Stirling said this could be because people might be rejoining the gym after a winter break and being too determined to get their “summer body”.
Additionally, joint stiffness and tightness after a cold winter could contribute to the high number of injuries.
“Some people try to come back thinking they’ll be at the same level as they were before the break.”
The most impacted age group in 2024 for the region was those aged 30-34, but leading the race so far in 2025 is the 25-29 age group, with 111 claims.
Twenty-six gym-related injury claims have been made for children aged 10-14 in 2025, which is already more than all of 2021 and 2022, and just two away from last year’s total.
Coley said children in that age bracket could be training in commercial gyms, but there should be more of a focus on movement and fundamentals rather than loading on weight too quickly.
The Rangitīkei and Ruapehu districts have also recorded a steady year-on-year increase in gym-related claims, lodging 23 and 33 new claims, respectively, in 2024.
Last year’s numbers were the highest for both districts since 2019.
ACC’s injury prevention advice includes completing a dynamic warm-up, receiving advice from a registered personal trainer, being realistic and listening to your body, and having recovery days. If you get injured, take time to recover and don’t rush back into training.
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
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