Kevin Hart says he's '65 to 75%' back to normal after his major car crash injuries

Ellen DeGeneres gave her friend and fellow comedian Kevin Hart a hug when he showed up for a recent taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Then she worried out loud that doing so might have been painful for the comedian, who's still recovering from a car crash that left him with a major back injury.

"It's funny, I was hugging you just because I love you and always hug you the same way, and then I was like, 'oh, does that hurt?' " DeGeneres said on Wednesday's episode.

"You tried to hurt me," Hart deadpanned, before telling the talk show host that he's "about 65 to 75%" back to his previous physical abilities. "My workouts are not full – I'm not lifting crazy weights – but I'm back to weighted workouts, agility, mobility, core workouts.."

Just after midnight Sept. 1, Hart and two friends were in his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda when it drove off Mulholland Highway and rolled down an embankment, according to a California Highway Patrol collision report obtained at the time by USA TODAY.

He addressed the car crash for the first time Oct. 29, updating fans on his quiet road to recovery with personal videos taken at the hospital, where Hart struggled to walk, and at physical therapy sessions where he displayed a major scar on his back.

"You don't realize that your back is connected to everything," Hart told DeGeneres. "Coming out of back surgery, everything changed. You're kind of helpless. So that's where you get to see what really matters, who really matters. Life kind of hits you in a completely different way."

He added: "The biggest triumph one day was when I put my socks on... When I put my socks on, it was the biggest thing in the world. Running around the house, 'I got my socks on! You ain't have to do it, I did it myself!' The biggest thing for me."

The comedian is choosing to focus on the positives: Hart's accident changed his mind-set: Not only is he thankful to those who stood by him during recovery, he's thankful to have had the opportunity to stay with family for an extended period of time. Normally not home for more than 10 days at a time, Hart has been home for three months straight.

Hart recalled the time he spent in the hospital, during which he saw an outpouring of support from his family: His kids would spend the night sleeping next to their dad, and Hart's wife, Eniko; his brother and mother-in-law all took turns spending time with him.

"You go, 'Wow. This is love. This is what real love in life is,'" he said. "The things that you think matter? You realize don't. It's not about your level of success, it's not about how much money you have. It's about those individuals and who you really mean the most to and who means the most to you. I got a completely different (outlook) on life: A much better one."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Hart to Ellen DeGeneres: Post-car crash, I'm 75 percent better