Community meeting round-up: exercise after brain injury
- bistcawebsite
- Jun 5, 2014
- 2 min read
We all know exercise is good for us, and at BIST’s community meeting in May, Dr. Melvine BairdfromRehab Resultsgave helpful tips on keeping our bodies healthy and active after a brain injury.
Aside from the physical perks, Dr. Baird says exercise offers many cognitive benefits such as increased cognitive flexibility (the ability to switch between two different concepts), memory and processing speed.
Here’s what Dr. Baird recommends:
find a friend or family member to exercise with so you keep each other motivated
start a new routine slowly and gradually increase what you’re doing
drink lots of water and stay hydrated!
take breaks and don’t push yourself to the point of fatigue
Exercises you can do at home:
THE SUPERMAN
Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs extended.
Lift your arms and legs at the same time towards the ceiling, in an elongated ‘u’ shape.
Try to lift several inches from the floor, holding for two to five seconds.
WALL PUSH-UPS
Stand about 3 feet in front of a wall with your hands outstretched.
Push your body back with your hands until you’re back in a standing position.
Repeat; stop before you begin to feel pain or fatigue in your upper body.
WALL SQUATS
With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand with your head and back against the wall. Keep your arms at your sides.
Lower your body into a squat position so that your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Hold for five to 10 seconds, breathing normally.
Other resources Dr. Baird recommends are joining a walking group, taking up Nordic pole walking, swimming at a community centre or TheraBands exercises.
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