Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Community Exercise Experiences after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern due to its growing incidence and resulting long-term or lifelong impairments. Exercise is a non-stigmatising approach proposed to alleviate the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional consequences after TBI. We used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the exercise experiences of seven individuals living with a severe TBI, 5-31 years after rehabilitation. We engaged in semi-structured interviews with the participants and we used IPA to explore their post-TBI exercise experiences outside of the clinical setting. Based on our analysis, we found three themes encompassed how TBI-related impairments affected the participants' abilities, self-perceptions, and perspectives on life. The participants also identified optimal environments for exercise participation, as well as perceived physical, social, and psychological effects of exercise. Future recommendations include developing community-based exercise programmes to assist with social reintegration and exploring the full range of benefits obtainable from exercise after a TBI.