‘A dumbbell left me with concussion and unable to exercise for 2 years’
Kristine Kilty, 41, went from training daily to being unable to hold a conversation after an accident during a workout at home.
In November 2020, I was 38 and staying at my parents’ house in Ireland during the second lockdown when my life changed in an instant. I was putting in long work hours as a creative fashion director and I’d do daily 6.30am workouts to help me feel normal and maintain a routine.
Until one morning when, after accidentally snoozing my alarm and rushing to make my 7am HIIT session, I smashed a dumbbell into the back of my head during a dumbbell snatch. It hurt, but I kept going, finishing my workout.
By evening, I was irritable. During an online seminar, I was immediately forgetting what the speaker had just said. Afterwards, I realised I’d filled a full page of A4 with the same sentence. The exhaustion continued; two days later, I tried to complete an exercise class, but I felt nauseous and then I had a nosebleed.
I knew I needed medical help, but A&E departments were overwhelmed during Covid; I felt embarrassed taking up their time with an exercise injury. I was recommended bed rest by a doctor family friend. But as weeks passed by, my speech became slow and slurred.
By Christmas, I had contacted various Dublin hospitals – but since I didn’t have an Irish GP (I’d lived in London since 2003), no one would see me. I eventually saw a doctor at a sports clinic, who referred me for an MRI scan. Finally, in January, I was diagnosed with concussion, from which – I was told – it could take months or years to recover.
While the diagnosis was a relief, I refused to accept the recovery time and I followed my doctors’ advice to the letter: only engaging one sense at a time (where possible) to prevent brain fatigue, meditating daily using an eye mask and joining virtual yoga classes – where I’d often lie in child’s pose.
Luckily, several work clients asked to postpone projects and, by taking on an assistant, I reduced my daily laptop time to 15 minutes.
It wasn’t until early 2022 that I began exercising again. Even light workouts would trigger symptoms, leaving me in bed for days. Seeking out a PT who works with elderly clients managing various illnesses was a game changer.
She suggested doing workouts in a nearby rose garden, given that spending time in nature can influence wellbeing. We trained without music to limit brain fatigue, focusing on micro-movements such as calf raises.
We trained together twice a week. After two weeks, I began lifting 0.5kg dumbbells; by week six, we introduced total-body resistance exercise (TRX) movements and resistance bands.
On workout days, I never used a computer and blocked out hours of my day to rest in the dark with an eye mask – taking it easy meant I progressed without setbacks. Gradually, I built up my physical strength and energy.
Three years on, I can take on more challenging workouts. But I’ve learned to embrace stillness and I understand that doing a little will add up. I still avoid high-impact exercise, including running. Right now, my body says no – and if this whole experience has taught me anything, it’s to listen to it.
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