The ACC has warned of injuries and accident rates in Northland this summer

By December 2024, there were 1,001 beach and sand accidents, costing $4.7 million.

2023 was no better, with 968 claims reported for $4 million. The majority of these claims involved soft tissue injuries, with the most injured body parts being the feet, knees and ankles.

Whangārei physiotherapist Adam Herbison of Northland Physiotherapy said maintaining good fitness, strength and fitness was key to avoiding injury.

“Many people move from a period of rest to full time or new activities over Christmas.

“Their bodies are not ready for this.

“The same thing happens on the sports field if an athlete came back after the season and pulled a hamstring after a full sprint.”

Herbison suggests doing a five- to 10-minute warm-up “tailored to the type of activity.”

Feel free to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous exercise if you’ve had a “big night out,” Herbison said.

“If it’s surfing, make sure your hips are moving and you’ve done some sprints.

“If it’s cycling, start with a cycling-focused warm-up, and if you’re mountain biking, start with an easier route rather than extreme riding.”

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker agreed that warming up is important.

“We know that exercising at the beach poses a unique risk of injury due to the additional stress that soft surfaces like sand can place on our muscles and joints.

“It pays to do dynamic warm-ups and cool-downs.

“Be careful of anything that might cause you to stumble.”

Apart from beach and sand injuries, the second highest number of injuries in Northland was road cycling – in 2024, the ACC accepted 676 claims, costing $2 million to help these people.

This was followed by 406 claims for surfing incidents, costing $1.9 million, and 313 claims for swimming injuries, costing $797,000.

Mountain biking was next with 75 claims totaling $153,000 during the same period.

Other mishaps during Northland’s summer activities included 38 barbecue injuries at a cost of $150,000.

Whitaker said it was great that New Zealanders were “getting out into nature”.

“We want New Zealanders to be able to enjoy their summer, whether that’s on the beach, on mountain bike trails or on the sports field.

“But we challenge people to take a moment to “hmmm” – think about how they can prevent the risk of injury while doing the things they love.

“ACC supports people in recovering from injuries, but it’s always much better if people don’t get injured.”

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She is particularly interested in telling human interest stories, as well as road, lifestyle, business and animal welfare issues.