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               On wheels: The Cincinnati Cycle Club will hold its Great Ghost Rider Ramble noon Saturdaywith a safety seminar at 10:30 a.m. The ride — not a race — begins and ends at Central High School in St. Leon, Ind. Information: www.cincinnaticycleclub.org, or 791-7190

Shelf help
        Take charge: The Force Program: The Proven Way to Fight Cancer Through Physical Activity and Exercise (Ballantine; $24) by Jeff Berman, Dr. Fran Fleegler and John Hanc, looks at how physical activity kicks the body's ability to fight disease into high gear. Includes a workout plan, nutrition advice and motivation tips.

Just in
        Safety concern: Add treadmills to the list of home exercise equipment that can injure small children, according to a new report from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

        The report, published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, said 12 children suffered hand injuries caused by the belt of a moving treadmill; half required surgery, including a skin graft, in one case.

        “Most parents don't regard treadmill machines as potential hazards,” says Dr. Benjamin Chang, a pediatric plastic surgeon and senior author of the article. “Injuries to children from stationary bicycles have been much better publicized over the past decade, and manufacturers have modified their designs to make them safer, but treadmills have received less attention.”

        Children in the study ranged from 14 months to 7 years. Most were injured when their hands were caught in the back of the machine where the treadmill belt wraps around the rear roller. Some were injured as they came behind an exercising adult, and others were hurt as they turned on an unattended machine.

        Dr. Chang suggests keeping treadmills in a room that can be locked while not in use. He also suggests adults not wear headsets while using the treadmills so that they can be more aware of their surroundings.

Research
        Ouch-wise: Bicycles, basketball, football and roller sports topped the list of eight recreational activities that caused the most musculoskeletal injuries among children ages 5 to 14, according to a new study.

        An estimated 2.2 million children's fractures, dislocations and soft tissue injuries related to those activities were treated last year at U.S. hospital emergency rooms, physician's offices and clinics according to Dr. John M. Purvis, who presented the information recently to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

        Among the findings:

        • Bicycles caused 415,000 injuries.

        • Basketball caused 407,000 injuries.

        • Football caused 389,000 injuries.

        • Roller sports, including inline skates, skateboards and scooters, caused 297,000 injuries.

        The bottom four activities on the list were playground activities, soccer, baseball/softball and trampolines.

        General strategies to prevent injury include proper warm-up, stretching and conditioning, and use of protective equipment, Dr. Purvis says.

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax, 768-8330; email, pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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