[PDF] Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors

Why you should exercise after stroke?

Why You Should Exercise After a Stroke Regular exercise, alongside a well-balanced diet, can improve your overall health and well-being and help to reduce your chances of suffering a stroke. What you may not realise is that exercise can play a huge part in stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

Can exercise reduce the risk of a stroke?

The suggestion that exercise can help reduce your risk of stroke is nothing new. Indeed, a study conducted at Harvard University between 1916 and 1950, involving 11,130 men in total, found that exercising for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, was enough to reduce risk of stroke by 24%.

Can lack of exercise increase my risk for stroke?

The more exercise you do, the lower your risk of stroke. One study showed adults under 60 who had low physical activity and spent more than eight hours a day sitting around had a four times higher risk of stroke than those reporting less than four hours a day of inactive leisure time (1). Active men and women have 25-30% less chance of stroke.