The Role of Exercise in Stroke Prevention: Workouts for a Healthier Heart

A stroke occurs when a blood clot cuts off the blood supply to part of the brain, or when an artery in the brain bursts and bleeds. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but most strokes can be prevented by paying attention to some important risk factors.

1 million strokes per year are related to physical inactivity, and you can reduce your risk of stroke by getting the recommended amount of exercise each week. 

How exercise can reduce your stroke risk: 

Just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can reduce your stroke risk by 25 points. 

Exercise plays an important role in reducing many risk factors for stroke, including high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, depression and stress. Regular exercise can help overcome many risk factors for stroke. 

How much exercise do you need: 

Be as active as possible in your daily life. Small daily activities like walking instead of sitting in the car, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, gardening or doing housework can help you stay healthy and reduce your physical activity. Your stroke risk. 

In addition to being generally active, we recommend getting at least two and a half hours of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. You can break this down into as many parts as you want, but a good way to achieve this goal is to be active 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. If you find it difficult to schedule 30 minutes a day or work out 30 minutes in one session, you can break it up into blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout the day to free up your time.

If you are physically healthy, exercising at recommended levels is unlikely to cause a stroke, but there is a risk that exercise can cause a stroke. However, if there has been no activity for a while. Consult your health care professional if you have any medical conditions or are taking medications that increase your risk of stroke. 

Should you exercise if you’ve already had a stroke: 

If you’ve had a stroke, regular exercise can reduce your risk of a second stroke or dementia and speed your recovery. Can reduce fatigue and improve overall health. If your mobility has decreased due to a stroke, some exercises may still be helpful. A physical or occupational therapist can help you find exercises that are right for you. Four out of people are at risk of developing a stroke during their lifetime, but almost all strokes can be prevented by taking simple steps. 

Strength training for all ages: 

Incorporate activities that build strength and muscle, such as weight training at the gym, bodyweight training at the park, and using available equipment. Important for long-term health and well-being. 

Strength training is about building a functional body that can do what it needs to do without the risk of injury or fatigue. 

All activities have health and wellness benefits, but strength training has additional benefits, including:

Research shows that you can’t complete your day with just one workout if you’re sitting. However, researchers at the University of Glasgow found that people with low grip strength and fitness levels were twice as likely to engage in sedentary activities like watching TV for long periods of time compared to participants with the highest fitness and grip strength. searched for. i understand that. Was. Risks include many conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Researchers believe that improving muscle strength and fitness may help reduce some of the negative health effects of spending most of your free time sitting and staring at a screen. 

Strength training isn’t just for weightlifting, although that’s a great option. A great example of integrating exercise and strength training to strengthen the cardiovascular system is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT involves alternating high-intensity exercise with periods of rest between activities. This high-intensity exercise often includes strength training.

The benefits of strength training are not limited to people who are active without injury. There is growing understanding that exercise, including strength training, can benefit many specific health conditions, particularly those conditions that are prevalent in older adults, such as arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.

Older adults are traditionally encouraged to perform light aerobic exercise to improve heart health and build balance to reduce the chance of falls. Although these two factors are still considered important, there are also benefits to participating in strength training that uses resistance during exercise. This could be an exercise with weights, but there are many other options. 

Strength training is not “one size fits all” and like any physical activity, it comes with some risks. However, by working with an appropriately qualified and registered exercise professional, exercises and activities can be customized to your specific needs, exercise and medical history, minimizing risks and maximizing results. 

Have It’s never too late to start strength training. No matter your age, today is the best day to start.

Views: 8