Stroke: exercise helps! – DocCheck

After a stroke, physical activity can be key to a successful recovery. But how much exercise do you actually need? Read more here.

One Study Gothenburg University shows that people looking for a stroke those who exercise four hours a week achieve better functional recovery within six months than those who don’t. The study, now in the journal JAMA Network Open was published based on data from 1,500 stroke patients in 35 Swedish hospitals. The participants were divided into groups according to their movement behavior after the stroke.

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The results show that increasing or maintaining physical activity with four hours of exercise per week doubled patients’ chances of recovering well up to six months after the stroke. Men and people with normal cognitive abilities remained active relatively more often and, as a result, recovered better.

Positive programming through movement

The researchers were able to demonstrate a clear inverse relationship between physical activity and the severity of stroke symptoms at the onset of the disease. These new results underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle after a stroke.

Dongni Buvarp, study lead author and clinical neuroscience researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg: “Physical activity positively reprograms both the brain and the body after a stroke. Exercise improves the body’s recovery at the cellular level, increases muscle strength and well-being and reduces the risk of falls, Depression and cardiovascular diseases. Regardless of how severe the stroke, those affected can benefit from more exercise.”

Knowledge and support are important

“Being physically active is extremely important, especially after a stroke. That’s a message that healthcare professionals, stroke victims and their families should know. Women and people with intellectual disabilities appear to be less active after a stroke. The study results suggest that these groups need more support to start physical activity,” says Buvarp.

A notable limitation of the study is that, with a few exceptions, the researchers were not able to assess participants’ activity levels before the stroke. The included patients were treated in Sweden in the period from 2014 to 2019.

This article is based on a press release of the Swedish Research Council – The Swedish Research Council. We have the original publication for you here and linked in the text.

Image source: Jad Limcaco, unsplash