{"id":7923,"date":"2025-03-28T17:59:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T16:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=7923"},"modified":"2025-04-07T18:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T16:07:15","slug":"getting-back-to-riding-after-a-concussion-my-experience-by-kasia-niewiadoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/03\/28\/getting-back-to-riding-after-a-concussion-my-experience-by-kasia-niewiadoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Back to Riding After a Concussion: My Experience, by Kasia Niewiadoma"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been a professional cyclist for over 10 years now, and only over a week ago, I crashed on my head for the first time, ending up with a concussion. I didn\u2019t know what to expect or how to understand the symptoms, but all I knew was that I had to take it easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I was told that symptoms don\u2019t necessarily appear immediately\u2014it can take up to seven days to realise that something is wrong. At first, the main thing I noticed was a headache, followed by difficulties focusing on anything for longer than a couple of seconds. I had a hard time looking at my phone, watching a film or even being a passenger in a car. There was this dull feeling of nausea and dizziness that would come and go. But to my luck, all of these symptoms were quite mild.<\/p>\n

Misconceptions about concussions in cycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest challenges was knowing when to restart my training. I kept hearing that if you start too soon, all of the symptoms can come back stronger and more serious. That\u2019s a tricky situation because, as athletes, we want to get back to training as soon as possible. We want to move past the setback, get back on track, and chase the next goal. Finding patience in that process is incredibly difficult.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m one of those people who has zero patience for recovery. I wanted to pretend everything was fine when it clearly wasn\u2019t. Luckily, I had my coach, my team, and my husband keeping a close eye on me, making sure I didn\u2019t do too much during the day and forcing me to stay in bed as much as possible. That support helped me give my body the time it needed to fully switch into recovery mode.<\/p>\n

Why taking a concussion seriously is crucial<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s very important! We\u2019re talking about your head here. Besides listening to your body and paying attention to your symptoms, it\u2019s essential to see a doctor, get an X-ray or MRI, and make sure there\u2019s no internal damage before even thinking about training again.<\/p>\n

Apparently, everyone experiences a concussion differently, so there\u2019s no universal guideline on how to handle yourself. But the general rule is: the less you do, the better, and the slower you take it, the better. I remember hearing about a rider who got concussed, returned to racing too quickly, crashed once more\u2014again on the head\u2014and a few months later had to retire because her symptoms wouldn\u2019t go away. A severe concussion can mean you can\u2019t handle light or noise, you feel dizzy and exhausted, and all you can do is lie in a dark room. That doesn\u2019t sound fun at all.<\/p>\n

The recovery process<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It was all about bed rest. After my hospital visit confirmed there was no serious damage, I was sent home, knowing I just had to be extremely careful for the first three days. That meant no phone, no TV, no loud noises\u2014just pure rest. I spent my time lying in bed, listening to podcasts or simply existing. It\u2019s funny when your body really needs rest; you don\u2019t even mind just lying around doing nothing. Time just passes through you.<\/p>\n

Knowing when to start light activity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My headaches stopped, my mood improved, and I could have a conversation without feeling exhausted. I could sit at the table, do dishes, and take care of small household chores without feeling drained. That was my signal that I was ready to try an easy ride.<\/p>\n

For my first ride, I did 45-60 minutes, super easy\u2014just rolling at 100 watts with someone by my side in case anything unexpected happened.<\/p>\n

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