Here are three new stories about people injuring themselves while playing Wii Fit or exercising at home.

The first two are sensationalist stories from the Daily Mail and The Telegraph based on a survey by an insurance company (who shall remain nameless) that specialises in insurance for women.

Apparently women exercising at home have caused £1.3 billion in damage while exercising at home in the last year, a six-fold increase. Apparently 13 million women are exercising at home every week. I find that number somewhat surprising, although not totally implausible, it's over one in three women in the UK. Unsurprisingly this seems to be a result of the recession, with people looking for cheaper ways to exercise.

The third article is a rather more level-headed report from the Washington Times, pointing out some of the problems of exercising at home, and especially doing "virtual" sports. One woman suffered a brain haemorrhage after falling during a session, a rare injury, but a good reminder to make sure that your exercise area is clear of things you can bump into.

The more likely form of injury comes from the lack of resistance that during many virtual sports. For example, when playing Wii Tennis, there is nothing to stop your arm going to full extension, unlike in a real game where the ball tends to get in the way. The same goes for boxing, or any other game with rapid movements where it is tempting to over-extend your joints.

Many people also assume that because these are games, that they don't need to treat them like normal exercise. You still need to warm-up and cool-down.

Some top tips:

• Make sure you have enough space and that any hard items, like tables, are well out of reach.
• Check above you! - Only this morning I whacked my ceiling light while doing lunge-jumps
• Don't get too carried away - concentrate on doing moves correctly and staying in control. It's better to do moves slower, but properly.
• Try not to over-extend your joints, especially the knees and elbows.
• Treat it like real exercise, make sure you warm-up and cool-down, and drink plenty.
• If you are new to exercise, ease in gently, don't suddenly start on the hard stuff.