Returning to Exercise post brain injury

Exercise is always difficult even without a brain injury, but when you injure your brain it is so busy using all your energy and nutrients to repair itself that you suffer exhaustion problems and chronic fatigue difficulties. A lot of people ask about how to build exercise back into their lives. Further, recent research shows that gently reintegrating exercise can help recovery from post concussion syndrome. 

First, if you're not safe on your feet without guidance then do little exercises at home before you hit the streets. Build up gradually and slowly, always within your energy limits for that day and moment - start as though you've never exercised before. In the early days just cleaning your home will be sufficient exercise and you will need to take several breaks throughout. 

Here are some suggestions of activities that are a good starting point, but make sure that what you do is something you enjoy and will make you happy - it is key to create a positive environment for your brain. 

Tai Chi is great for meditative movement. If you haven't done it before Ramel Rones has a great 2 part DVD " Tai Chi Energy Patterns" that teaches the meditation basics and then adds in a couple of basic energy patterns. He teaches the exercises seated and standing, which is perfect to cope with your needs for the day. The standing exercises will give you a chance to work on your balance problems (I was all over the place for the first 4 months post injury and this massively helped). 

Pilates will help improve your core strength and balance, mobilising your spine that is probably super stiff from lots of 'resting' (I got sick of that word). STOTT Pilates provide very comprehensive and safe workouts that are a manageable short sessions. The Sunrise Workout is great beginner DVD at 20 mins long and the Essential DVD at 40 mins covers the full beginner repertoire. 

Yoga can help you stretch out a lot of tension and rebuild some upper body strength, also helping balance issues. Sarah Power's Yin Yoga DVD is very slow and meditative, using lots of cushions to support your body. Her Insight Yoga DVD contains the yin yoga classes and some vinyasa sections for when you feel strong enough to try a harder workout too. 

If you're safe to go outside, walking is great cardio vascular exercise. Start with maybe 10 minutes at a very slow pace and build up gradually. Meditative walking is the best - so find somewhere quiet with as much space (so you don't have to manage bumping into people). Then close your eyes before you take a step, breathe a few times & concentrate on your body. Then open your eyes & gently gaze to the floor 2-3 feet in front of you, then let your body lead the steps. Your body will set the pace and let your mind solely focus on the sensation of walking. If you have access to a gym then the treadmill is great for monitoring your progress. As you get stronger increase the intensity with the gradient rather than speed, this is just to help with not bobbling your brain about any more than it needs. 

If you find vestibular issues too much for walking then swimming can be great for cardio vascular exercise. Again, go gentle and at a pace that feels natural to your body. Don't worry about the other people in the lane and keep it brief. 

When you feel strong enough and if you enjoy group classes try avoid those with music as this is just another stimulant to flood your brain.  Make sure that you tell the instructor you are recovering from an injury and that you will tire easily. Stop and take breaks throughout, make sure you don't go nuts & over do it! Drink plenty of water throughout too as it helps your brain feel energised.

Eventually the balance, mobility, strength & endurance come back - slowly like all the other elements following a brain injury.  

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is better left to much later on in your recovery, so avoid sprints and other anaerobic forms of training unless supervised by an exercise professional. 

Exercise: Tai Chi Bubble Breathing

Once you're comfortable with the Tai Chi Baton Breathing you can move on to this exercise. It takes a bit more thought so can be too much on some days especially when getting used to it, but eventually you'll find it quite calming.

This exercise will focus your mind and require split attention, which is great for training your brain to get back to multi-tasking and flexibility of attention. 

Sitting or standing for this meditation is fine. 

1. Close your eyes and take 5 slow, calm breaths. 

2. Imagine the Baton between your naval and pituitary, it is gently moving with your breaths in and out. Do this for another 5 breaths. 

3. Now imagine a balloon around your body - maybe 2 or 6 inches outside your body. It protects and shields you. It can glow a colour if you feel this helps - I always found iridescent purple very soothing. 

4. As you inhale the balloon gets closer to your body (like a balloon deflating slightly) and as you exhale, the ballon is bigger and stronger. Keep imagining the balloon as you breath in & out. Do this for at least 5 minutes but 10 minutes will really help calm your mind. 

5. If you can, combine the Baton with the Balloon as you breathe.  If it becomes too stressful, just focus on the Balloon for now until you get used to it. Add the Baton in for a couple of breaths, and keep increasing it until you can combine them.

Tip: I quite like to do it standing on public transport or busy places when you often feel your space being invaded, which can make you feel stressed. This exercise makes you feel that you have regained that personal space, even if only internally. 

Super busy few weeks...

Unexpectedly some things came up that made me super busy for the last 3 weeks. Cooking was something I really struggled to have any time for and I was too exhausted to come up with anything new. So, I ate things I've already posted on here and really had to make sure I did the mindfulness exercises. 

Here's what I ate and hope I coped:

Lunches:
mackerel & quinoa salad
Crustless tofu quiches
Broccoli salad
Chicken and lettuce sandwich (new recipe)

Dinners:
BBQ peppers with baby beetroot (new recipe)
Sweet potato lentils & mackerel
Chickpeas with spinach and tomatoes

Exercises:
In the evenings to unwind and let my brain rest I took the The Relaxation Journey exercise. 

When I was at work and needed to take a break I would do the Tai Chi Baton Breathing at my desk. I could do it for 2-3 minutes just to let my brain chill and refocus. 

I found attending some gentle yoga classes with an emphasis on pranayama (breathing) and meditation ensured that I took a full hour lunch break and came back with a clearer mind and better attention. 

I will update these recipes with some extra nutrition comments in the next week or so and add the news ones. 

Exercise: Tai Chi Baton Breathing

I do not study Tai Chi with a teacher, but to help my meditation and improve balance after my accident I studied Ramel Rones's "Tai Chi Energy Patterns" DVD.  I found it really helped when I wasn't well enough to even go for a walk. These breathing patterns were the beginning of how I learnt to manage pain with meditation. They take focus and control. 

This exercise 'Baton Breathing" is a good starting point to focus your breathing and meditation. 

Do it sitting or standing, then apply it when you're moving mindfully e.g. walking.

1. Sit or stand with a neutral spine, imagining your head reaching to the sky and feet growing like tree roots into the ground. Slightly tuck the pelvis under to encourage a long lumbar spine. 

2. Picture an energy ball behind your naval. As you inhale the energy becomes more focused within you and centralises at the energy centre. As you exhale the energy expands and grows inside your body, giving it strength. Keep doing this for 5 minutes.

3. Picture the energy ball in your pituitary centre (in between your eyes in your forehead) and inhale and exhale, imagining the energy ball becoming larger as you exhale & smaller as you inhale. Keep doing this for 5 minutes.

4. Connect the naval and pituitary energy balls drawing a line between them - creating a baton. Reside in the baton as you breathe. Sense the difference between the naval and pituitary, how does this feel in the baton?  Stay here for at least 5 minutes. 

It is important to feel the length in the spine whilst relaxing to encourage correct posture and the optimum flow of energy in your body.