Returning To Exercise After A Traumatic Brain Injury

I am by any definition a very active person, even more so were true before my TBI diagnosis. I was a four-sport athlete who loved everything exercise-based and the way in which it made me feel. Throughout the first few months of my recovery, exercise was incredibly difficult and debilitating on both my body and my brain. I knew that it was important. I knew what it meant by not exercising. But I was exhausted and emotionally drained. I just wanted to return to the sports I loved. To return to the gym. To return to running miles upon miles and feeling free. In those days it felt very much like I would have to give that part of my "old" self up, but what I would soon learn was that it was still possible. Maybe not to the caliber in which I wanted or the type of exercise I wanted to participate in, but that exercising for someone with a TBI would still be possible.

I started by doing lots of trial and error- which exercises could I withstand and for how long? Which gave me a headache right away and applied too much stress and pressure? Running was off the table. Any type of jolting motion was a thing I stayed away from. I kept thinking to myself how could someone so active a few months ago become this weak? It was devastating, but I began to apply what I knew to be true:

• Exercise is more than working out. It is about movement and building strength.
• Movement and basic exercise provide massive benefits for TBI survivors including: stabilizing stress levels, emotional regulation/mood, memory, attention, strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and blood pressure regulation.
• Set attainable Type, Duration and Frequency boundaries and limits

Type: Low resistance, rhythmic, dynamic

This is your walking, jogging, elliptical, swimming, low resistance bands, small weights, etc.

Duration: Starting out, it was a win to get through a work out that was 12 minutes, but I was determined to get to 20-40 minute workout intervals

Frequency: 2-3x week

• It may not take place at the same caliber it once was, but it will be something I can still do and find joy in

As soon as I was able to define my limits and goals, and understand these basic concepts, it was freeing to know that I was able to "go back to what I loved."

Although it can be incredibly frustrating along the way, I am here to tell you that it gets easier if you're willing to work for it and have a change in mindset. There are limitless opportunities and exercising is among one of them that you can reap huge benefits from if done correctly!

A Handout I'd Recommend:

https://www.neuropt.org/docs/default-source/bi-sig/exercise_after_tbi.pdf?sfvrsn=2&sfvrsn=2