I often have my clients say a calming word or phrase so that when the mind says “ahh I can’t do this’ and you panic or hesitate, you can talk yourself out of it,” said Keim. However, they can take days to emerge. Use of computers, smart phones and TVs should be limited as should attending loud or stressful events. Start with a 30 minute session and work your way up,” said Keim. The more you try to avoid it, the more fear and anxiety you create,” said Keim. The footage of Cannondale-Drapac rider Toms Skujins attempting to remount his bike after a crash at the 2017 Tour of California should be evidence enough to suggest that a rider suffering from concussion is the person least able to diagnose themselves. Refrain from bike riding until the affected areas heal. It was for many reasons, but apart from commuting into town, I wasn’t cycling. Secondly, ask the rider some questions that are relevant to them – such as ‘where are we now?’ and ‘approximately what time of day is it?’ or ‘where were you on this day of the week?’. It’s understandable that cyclists frequently suffer from it following a crash – you just have to check out the state of some helmets following a bash and it’s clear it’s an area that often makes contact with the ground. Another often overlooked aspect of MTB is the mental concentration it takes. In the hours after the crash, it’s important not to leave the rider alone, and to look out for symptoms like nausea, decreased reaction time, head shaking and poor balance. A recovery phase can be a single day in the middle of a training block, or up to a week to really recovery and peak before a specific event – a taper. Concussion is caused by a mild traumatic brain injury, such as a bang to the head or whiplash. By . Simon is recovering in LA after a six-hour op to repair his spine, which he injured when falling off his bike in Malibu eight days ago. It is the progression and overload, paired with recovery that leads to improvement. It takes a number of people and a backboard to safely transport someone with such injuries. When it comes to getting back to your favourite hobby, it’s advised that a gradual return to cycling should take place only after symptoms are no more. Stefan Kung shows his injuries after a crash on stage two of the Tirreno-Adriatico (Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA). However, the most frequent cause of injury in older people is falling, from either a low level (i.e. You have to go out there with people you trust like your friend, teammate or coach and follow their wheel and force yourself into that situation that causes the anxiety – be it descending, cornering or otherwise,” said Keim. Recovery after a bicycle accident should be taken seriously. “But my experience does give me an appreciation of how hard concussion recognition can be, and why we insist ‘if in doubt, sit it out’ is the only way to be safe.”. “After an injury, the athlete is sitting there going ‘oh my god, I’m going to lose fitness’ or ‘now I am not going to be doing the event I was preparing for’,” said Keim. Four months after that surgery I was able to get 3rd in the Individual Pursuit at Nationals, and a few months later I was representing the US National Team at … Don’t forget to drink up and hydrate your body after your race. British music mogul Simon Cowell has been rushed to hospital with a broken back after falling off an electric bike in California. A few months afterwards I lost the ability to walk and had to undergo surgery which kept me off the bike for three months. “Had I been asked the day I was admitted to hospital, I would have denied any brain injury, and if I could have got back on a bike, I would have. “As soon as you are physically able to do so, you have got to jump right back into it. “Do a fast group ride before throwing yourself back into a big race to make sure there isn’t any residual mental block from a traumatic crash,” she advised. Whether you’re bike commuting, road cycling or mountain biking, chances are that you’re going to fall off at one point or another. But a little stubbornness will help you keep going, sticking to your routine, inching forward to that next small goal, trying to smile at your frailties as you get better. We talked to sports psychologist Kristin Keim, known for her work with athletes like Women’s WorldTour winner Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans), to find out. 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