8 Fitness Tips To Recover From A Car Accident Effectively

8 Fitness Tips To Recover From A Car Accident Effectively 

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Car accidents are a common occurrence, and they leave thousands of people injured every single day. Some of these lead to major injuries and death, while others might lead to just a few scrapes and bruises. It can take weeks or months to recover from some injuries, and there are ways to make this recovery more effective. Certain fitness exercises and routines can help you recover more effectively from your car accident. 

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Please consult a medical professional before performing anything listed in this article. This is not professional advice.

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Prepare Yourself

You likely won’t be able to start exercising right away, but when you are able to you need to make sure you’re prepared. Your body could respond differently to different treatments based on a variety of factors, from underlying medical issues to how old you are. Being mentally prepared will allow you to start your fitness recovery journey on the right track. 

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Start Small

If you’re used to being able to go through heavy workouts then that’s likely what you’ll want to start back with, but you have to be able to start small. You’ll need to start with smaller routines and build up to what you normally do. If you don’t you run the risk of making your injury even worse. You could even cause permanent damage if you start doing heavy workouts right off the bat after a car accident. 

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Listen To Your Doctor

It’s vital that you listen to the advice your doctor gives you when recovering from any kind of car accident. You should also talk to them before you start exercising or training, as they will know what kind of workouts would be overdoing it. You’ll most likely have a physical therapist as well who can provide more insight about the kind of fitness you’ll be able to handle. 

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Make Sure To Stretch

Stretching is important before working out in daily life, and it becomes even more important when training after a car accident. Stretching can prevent you from injuring yourself and will get your muscles warmed up and ready to work. It’s also a good exercise to get your body back into its normal range of motion. Keep in mind that stretching is not recommended until at least three days after your car accident. 

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Work on Strength Building

When you use fitness to recover from a car injury, you’re focusing on building back strength and movement and reducing pain. Some of the best routines to do this are strength-building exercises. They are some of the best ways to get your body back into its normal shape. Workouts focused on building strength will also allow for better blood circulation. As more blood is pumped into the injured areas of your body, it will also speed up the healing process. Your ligaments, muscles, and tendons can all benefit from this kind of movement. 

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Use Massage Sessions

Many injuries leftover from a car accident are going to be painful, and it’s going to be hard to start moving again. However, starting off with a few massage sessions can get your body ready to start moving again. Muscle spasms, stiffness, and swelling are all common causes of pain after vehicle-related accidents. After a few proper massage sessions, you’ll be able to notice a lot of the pain subsided. Another great benefit of massage is it can speed up recovery by encouraging blood flow. These kinds of sessions also manually stretch tissues around your joints and can improve flexibility. 

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Don’t Overdo It

One of the most important tips to keep in mind when using fitness to recover is to not overdo it. You need to make sure you stretch properly every time and start out small. Don’t move into more complex or straining routines until you’re certain your body can handle it. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself further, or stunt the healing process. Make sure you aren’t overworking yourself either. You won’t be able to exercise as frequently, or even as long as you are used to. When working out, you can go until you start to feel a slight “burn” in your muscles. This is the sign that you should stop, and the burning should be gone as soon as you stop your movements. 

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Hire A Personal Trainer

Just like a physical therapist, a personal trainer can help you get your body back on track after a car accident. They have the training and knowledge to help you through stretching and low-intensity workouts. They’ll even be able to recommend some movements you can do on your own time and will be able to offer advice. Another great benefit of utilizing a personal trainer is they can keep an eye out so you don’t end up hurting yourself or overexercising. If you want to effectively use fitness to speed up your recovery process then hiring a personal trainer is a great way to start.

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You can find an online personal trainer on WeStrive here.

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Major Car Injuries and Recovery

As car accidents become more common, injuries caused by these accidents are becoming more commonplace too. If you experience any of these common car accident injuries, there are certain exercises that can help with recovery. 

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Whiplash

Whiplash is one of the less serious injuries caused by car accidents, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. The force of an accident can strain the muscles and ligaments in your body, and lead to pain across the neck and back. It can take several weeks to be fully healed. 

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For whiplash, you can try a seated neck release or a seated clasping neck stretch. 

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Seated Neck Release

• Sit on the floor cross-legged, or sit in a chair and place your feet flat on the ground. 
• Extend your right arm next to your right knee, and place your left hand on the top of your head. 
• Slowly tilt your head to the left side, gently applying pressure. 
• Hold for thirty seconds and repeat on the other side. 

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Seated Clasping Neck Stretch

• Sit in the chair or on the floor, clasp your hands, and bring them both to the back of your head. 
• Sit with a tall spine, firmly in the seat. 
• Gently press your hands toward your thighs, tucking your chin into your chest. 
• Using the heels of your palms, pull your head from your shoulders, pressing down to intensify the stretch. 
• Hold for thirty seconds before releasing. 

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Back Injuries and Neck Injuries

Back and neck injuries are both common injuries from car crashes and can vary in how serious they are. You could experience ruptures in your spinal discs, which make it hard to move. Physical therapy is beneficial in healing, but so are some forms of exercising. It takes time for these injuries to heal depending on their severity. It could take anywhere from several weeks to several months. 

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For these injuries, you can try a tabletop leg press and glute bridge.

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Tabletop Leg Press

• Lie faceup with legs lifted and knees bent at a 90-degree angle over your hips. 
• Contact your hips and crunch a few inches to place your hands on the front of your quads. 
• Drive your quads into your hands while pushing them away. 
• While your body should stay still, there should be tension in your core. 
• Hold for thirty seconds. 

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Glute Bridge

• Lie on your back with knees bent, hands to your sides, and feet hip-width apart on the floor. 
• Squeeze your abs and glutes, and use your heels to lift your hips a few inches until there is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. 
• Hold this position as long as you can, then slowly lower yourself back to the ground.  

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Want to up your Health & Fitness? Check out these articles:

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About the Author:

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Cory McKane

Cory is a huge fan of fitness - and an even bigger fan of helping you with your fitness. He's started on his journey with WeStrive back in 2015 and has been building it ever since.