Fitness Recovery Tips For Car Accident Victims
If you’re an unfortunate victim in a car accident, then these fitness recovery tips might prove very helpful during your healing process.
Each year, millions of Americans are hurt and injured in car accidents. Some injuries are minor and take just a couple of days to completely heal. Other injuries are more serious in nature and have lasting effects.
If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been hurt in a car accident, it’s important that you implement a proactive plan that allows you to recover as quickly and efficiently as possible.
With the proper clearance from your doctors, exercise and fitness may play a significant role in restoring health and mobility.
Making Recovery A Priority
As the victim of a car accident, life can feel overwhelming. There’s a laundry list of tasks to be dealt with – including legal, medical, insurance, finance, family, work, etc.
But out of all these responsibilities, nothing matters more than the legal and medical side of the equation.
Legally speaking, your injuries are subject to a statute of limitations – i.e. a certain amount of time within which you have to pursue charges or claims and receive compensation.
“The clock will start running from the date you were diagnosed with a personal injury relating to an incident or from the date of the incident in question”, Anderson & Anderson explains.
“Once they [statute of limitations] have passed, if you were unable to file your lawsuit, you will have lost the opportunity to do so, as the judge will bar your case from being heard.”
Of equal importance are your health and recovery. While you may be confined to bed rest for a few days or weeks, it’s imperative that you meet with your healthcare team and develop an exercise and fitness plan that gets you moving.
And it’s this aspect of your recovery that I want to focus on.
Fitness Recovery Tips
While every post-accident exercise regimen will look different based on the circumstances and injuries, here are some fitness recovery tips that you may find helpful:
1. Take A Walk
You have to take it slow. This means starting with exercises that are easy on the body and allow you to gauge where you are in the pain/recovery process.
Walking is a great place to start. A brisk walk elevates heart rate, forces you to move most of your joints, activates your muscles, and releases endorphins.
Start with a manageable distance and plenty of rest in between walks.
2. Stretch It Out
In addition to walking, you should try stretching more often. If your doctor gives you the green light, a few daily stretching exercises could make a huge difference for your body.
“Sure, you might think that these things are too simple to do at home, but this can keep scar tissues from forming as your body heals”, Jean Clark writes for YEG Fitness. “This means that even if you were scarred during the accident, the scar would most likely lighten and will not have a permanent mark on your body. Proper stretching can also aid in your pain management – and these are reasons enough for you to slowly try stretching after your car accident.”
3. Take Some Weight Off
As your body heals and you regain strength and mobility, your doctor may clear you to begin some weight lifting exercises.
The key with weights is to take things very slowly. Start with bodyweight movements and then transition into light weights (just a fraction of what you were lifting prior to the injury).
“The nervous system loses the adaptations you have created with strength training in about a month, so these will need to be relearned before returning to your regular routine”, trainer Tyler Spraul writes. “You also need to be aware that you will be sore again after the workout, so it’s better to start lighter,” he explained.
4. Listen To Your Body
Above all else, make sure you listen to your body for any signs of pain or discomfort. If you notice anything, speak with your doctor to find out if this is normal, or if you should slow things down a bit.
Reinjuring can lead to major setbacks. Don’t let your desire for normalcy limit your long-term health.
5. Explore All Of Your Options
As you recover from your accident, it’s important to act swiftly and with purpose.
Surround yourself with talented doctors and wise legal counsel in order that you can reach a fast and comprehensive recovery.
You may never be as healthy or strong as you were before your car accident, but there’s no reason you can’t optimize your health and set your body up for success.
A smart, proactive fitness plan will prove to be catalytic in this pursuit.
Make sure to integrate these fitness recovery tips into your healing process for a smooth, safe, and quick recovery.
