Exercise is medicine: Get moving after a concussion to heal faster

People who did light exercise within 48 hours after a concussion saw their symptoms resolve in about half the time as those who waited more than a week to exercise, a new University of Michigan study found. Study: Early Exercise is Associated with Faster Concussion Recovery Among Collegiate Athletes: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium The study adds to the growing body of science that suggests that "cocoon therapy”-bed rest in the dark with minimal mental stimulation after concussion-isn't good for patients. Instead, when done under the guidance of a trained clinician, exercise is preferable, said Landon Lempk e, a research fellow with appointments at the U-M Concussion Center and the Exercise and Sport Science Initiative, both housed in the School of Kinesiology. Landon is first author of the study, which appears in the journal Sports Medicine. Findings show light exercise speeds healing. The observational study monitored more than 1,200 college athletes at 30 institutions nationwide before injury and at injury until medical clearance. The study wasn't designed to establish a causal relationship between exercise and concussion recovery, but the findings are in line with previous smaller, randomized controlled trials identifying similar relationships.