In the past, those suffering a concussion were told to get rest and little to no physical activity, but new research could change concussion recovery.
A study looked at more than 100 children between ages 13 and 18 who had a sports-related concussion.
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Some teens were told to do light stretching that did not elevate their heart rate. Others did light aerobic activity like walking, jogging, or riding a stationary bike.
Researchers found that those who performed the light aerobic activity recovered from their concussions faster.
"What you want to do is just light aerobic activity," said Dr. Richard So with Cleveland Clinic Children's. "It can be simple and as easy as just walking on a treadmill, and advancing to a slow jog for 10 minutes. Or, a lot of times, in our cold weather areas, it's just riding a stationary bike for 10 minutes."
But, he says, it's always better to sit out when a concussion is expected, rather than risk re-injuring the child.