“ Independent of concussion , people who exercise more tend to have less anxiety , so it ’ s not surprising that the same thing would be seen after concussion .”
More Intense Exercise Reduces Post-Concussion Anxiety
“ Independent of concussion , people who exercise more tend to have less anxiety , so it ’ s not surprising that the same thing would be seen after concussion .”
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Returning to moderate to vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) after a concussion may play a vital role in helping teens feel less anxious while recovering from the injury , according to a new study from researchers in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine .
The research is published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise .
Experts estimate around 20 % of adolescents have been diagnosed with at least one concussion in their lifetime . Managing symptoms — which can be physical , cognitive , and emotional — is important and means learning more about how mental health can lead to better health outcomes after concussion .
“ Independent of concussion , people who exercise more tend to have less anxiety , so it ’ s not surprising that the same thing would be seen after concussion ,” says Katherine Smulligan , PT , DPT , and Ph . D . candidate , lead author of the study .
She and her colleagues at the Colorado Concussion Research Laboratory say patients commonly believe that they should be sedentary and avoid physical activity altogether after experiencing a concussion , but a growing body of research points to that not being necessary in many cases .
While the researchers say that post-concussion anxiety is multifactorial and physical activity isn ’ t the only variable that influences mental health , they observed a correlation