Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Exercises: Full-Body & Cognitive TBI Exercises to Try at Home

Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Exercises: Full-Body & Cognitive TBI Exercises to Try at Home

Many of the secondary effects caused by a TBI can be managed through traumatic brain injury recovery exercises. Rehabilitation provides many benefits such as improving movement, rebuilding strength, and restoring cognitive function.

Finding fun, engaging exercises helps keep you motivated and ensures you make the most out of your recovery. To help you navigate the rehabilitation process, we’ve gathered 20 of the most effective physical and cognitive TBI exercises to do at home.

Benefits of Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Exercises

After a traumatic brain injury, neural pathways may become damaged, and the effects depend on the location and severity of the injury. Without healthy neural pathways, the brain may have difficulty communicating with the affected muscles.

Fortunately, the brain is versatile and has the ability to rewire itself through neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity strengthens existing neural pathways and creates new ones, which helps improve overall function after a TBI.

There are various types of TBI and generally speaking, milder traumatic brain injuries have higher chances of recovery. However, there is hope for recovery from a moderate or even a severe traumatic brain injury with consistent exercise. Again, the key to recovery is neuroplasticity, which is best activated through high repetitions of exercise, or massed practice. The more a skill is practiced, the more the brain will recognize and adapt that function.

Neuroplasticity aside, exercise also helps increase blood flow to your brain. Proper blood flow is necessary for the body to function efficiently, but it can often be reduced after a TBI due to lack of movement. Thus, the more you exercise, the more blood flow will increase to provide essential oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Be Cautious When Creating Your Post-TBI Exercise Regimen

It’s important to note that sometimes TBI survivors experience other types of injury at the same time such as broken bones, muscular strains, or wounds. These injuries often require surgery and/or special precautions such as avoiding heavy weights or strenuous movements.

In addition, the rehabilitation process differs when dealing with a traumatic brain injury compared to a stroke. After a stroke, it is widely recognized that early intensive rehabilitation is best for maximizing recovery. However, after a traumatic brain injury, the brain and nervous system are in a lot of physiological distress and are highly sensitive.

The “neuro-metabolic cascade” that occurs even after a mild TBI like a concussion is why individuals may experience sensitivity to bright lights and sounds, headaches, dizziness, or nausea with physical exertion. Therefore, after a traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation and exercises must be done in a graded, step-wise manner that closely monitors how the body is responding to increasing physical challenges and mental stimulation.

Therefore, it’s important to listen to your body and how it responds to the following exercises. Be sure to consult with your therapist before trying any new exercises to ensure they are safe for you. Remember to start with exercises suitable for your ability level and increase the challenge as you improve. The more you practice, physically and mindfully, the more likely you will see positive results.

There are various types of TBI exercises that help target different muscle groups. While choosing which exercises to do can seem overwhelming, we’ve compiled a list of the top TBI exercises to help you get started.


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