Baseline (Step 0)

As the baseline step of the Return to Play Progression, the athlete needs to have completed physical and cognitive rest and not be experiencing concussion symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours.  Keep in mind, the younger the athlete, the more conservative the treatment.

Step 1: Light Aerobic Exercise

The Goal: only to increase an athlete’s heart rate

The Time: 5 to 10 minutes

The Activities: exercise bike, walking, or light jogging.

Absolutely NO weight lifting, jumping, or hard running

Step 2: Moderate Exercise

The Goal: limited body and head movement

The Time: Reduced from typical routine

The Activities: moderate jogging, brief running, moderate-intensity stationary biking, and moderate-intensity weightlifting

Step 3: Non-Contact Exercise

The Goal: more intense but non-contact

The Time: Close to typical routine

The Activities: running, high-intensity stationary biking, the player’s regular weightlifting routine, an non-contact sport-specific drills.  This stage may add some cognitive component to practice in addition to the aerobic and movement components introduced in Steps 1 and 2.

Step 4: Practice

The Goal: Reintegrate in full contact practice.

Step 5: Play

The Goal: Return to competition