When the term “exercise” is used, people commonly associate it with people hanging out in the gym for hours to perfect their lean bodies. “Exercise” is quite a popular term around New Year’s Eve and summertime, when we focus on turning our lives around to get into shape.
Exercise is helpful in aiding recovery after being involved in circumstances like car accidents. Given the various natures of injuries that can occur in a car accident, the top exercises listed below may or may not necessarily work with your condition. This is why it’s important to consult with your physician and ensure the kind of exercises you choose are appropriate to your recovery.
Overexertion might lead to further complications, so it’s important to at least ensure the things you do are proper and a helpful part of your recovery. Remember, your condition may not be the same as others’, and as such it’s important to make sure new routines or exercises you do are tailored to your needs.
Does Exercise Work? Fitness as Physical Therapy
According to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, or WCPT, physical therapy can be tailored to work with a wide variety of people to make sure their physical activity is optimized.
Contrary to popular belief, older people and athletes aren’t the only ones that can benefit from physical therapy. Professionals providing physical therapy can actually help provide benefits to anyone by making a plan fit for them, and for those involved in car accidents, perhaps exercising can be a healthy activity for recovery as well.
According to the WCPT, physical inactivity causes the deaths of around 1.9 million people annually. Risk of non-communicable diseases can be lowered with just half an hour of moderate to intense activity five days a week. This can help a great deal as more than 35 million individuals actually passed away due to non-communicable diseases in 2005. That accounted for 60 percent of deaths globally at the time.
Top Exercises After an Accident
Perhaps it’s time to look at just how you can get your physical activity back on track after a car accident. The exercises below can jumpstart your healing process and provide you with that much needed kick of energy to ensure you’re up to speed with recovery. Do remember, however, that before undertaking any of these exercises that these should be approved first by your physical therapist or physician. Since there are different kinds of car accidents and injuries, the treatment needed for them also differ. As such, the exercises listed here may or may not be effective for your situation.
For Hip Fractures
- Try to lie down on your back first, with your legs raised straight so your toes are pointed towards your ceiling. Move one of your legs to the side slowly before returning it to the center. Try to repeat this with the other leg.
- Another exercise is to stand adjacent to a table or a chair for balance. With the assistance of the object, try to move your leg towards the side as far as you possibly could. You may then repeat the same step with the other leg as well.
For Leg Fractures
- If you have a leg fracture, lay your feet flat on the ground. Take a step forward with one foot while making sure the other is in place. This lunging position can help strengthen the legs slowly.
- If you’re sitting, try to get both feet flat on the surface of the floor first. You can then slowly extend one of your knees so it is perpendicular to the ground.
- If you want to regain strength in your calf, stand up and keep both your feet flat on any surface again, preferably the floor. Slowly, rise from the ground on the balls of your feet. Try to maintain this position for about five to 10 seconds.
- If you want to regain strength in the ankle, try to have your ankle rest on the knee of the opposite leg while sitting. Try to rotate the ankle with both your hands gently for about five to 10 seconds before doing it again to the other foot.
For Arm Fractures
- If you have an arm fracture, some exercises are best done to regain control of your arm slowly but surely. Once the cast has been removed, slowly grab the injured arm and raise it above your head. Afterwards, grab the injured arm and then bend it along the elbow slowly as far as you possibly can.
Car accidents are not simple things, and recovering from one isn’t always an easy task. Due to the delicate nature of these accidents, recovery often extends beyond the physical body and also encompasses mental, emotional, and even financial states. It’s important to remember that doing these top exercises is in addition to making sure other aspects of the accident and your life are properly managed, such as considering potential lawsuits for compensation. Should you have questions on the legal aspects of car accidents, you may click here for more information.
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