Weightlifting training after concussion

Concussion is a serious brain injury, depending on its severity. If you do not take good care of yourself afterwards, it may have a long-term impact on health, or even death. If you want to resume your weight training program after concussion, you must exercise carefully.

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Before lifting, when suffering from brain concussion, be sure to consult a doctor for neuropsychological tests. Even if you do not notice immediate or persistent symptoms, the doctor can determine the extent of the injury and ensure that no serious injury occurs. Consult a doctor even if you don't take part in exercises like weightlifting. This is especially important if you feel headache, nausea, dizziness or blurred vision at any time after your first injury.

When the symptoms of concussion still exist, do not resume any form of weight training even if the symptoms have disappeared significantly. If you still experience any symptoms, your brain still needs time to heal, and intense activity may inhibit the healing process or cause greater damage.

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Most importantly, follow the doctor's advice. For example, if your doctor thinks you should avoid 30 days of weight training and your symptoms disappear only 10 days later, you should still wait for 30 days.

If symptoms recur, be prepared even if you think your wound has healed completely, because symptoms may recur with intense activity. A case study in Volume 19 of the 2007 Journal of Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience documented a case in which an impacted hockey player returned to the training ground after recovering from a superficial injury. Back at the training ground, he noticed a relapse of symptoms. If severe weightlifting training causes your symptoms to recur, stop training immediately and allow yourself more time to recover. If problems persist every time you resume training, consult your doctor. Be relaxed at the beginning of

and don't assume that you can resume training as rigorously as you did before, even if you firmly believe that your injury has healed. Starting with a lighter weight, it gradually increases to a heavier resistance. Start with short training sessions, and as you find yourself able to complete training without recurring symptoms, increase the length of time and a small amount of resistance.