Regular exercise ‘reduces impact of stroke’

Regular exercise may help reduce the severity of stroke, new research claims.

A report published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery looked at 673 patients who had suffered a stroke.

The participants were questioned about their levels of regular physical activity prior to the event and the impact the stroke had in their lives was assessed twice, three month apart.

Half of those questioned said there were physically active less than once a week.

Another 28.5 per cent said they exercised one to three times a week, while one in five (21 per cent) said they indulged in physical activity four or more times a week.

Even after taking into account age, sex and other health factors, the researchers found those who were moderately to very physically active were less affected by their stroke than those who had taken very little regular exercise.

The authors of the study suggest several plausible explanations for the impact of previous exercise on stroke, including the fact it improves the physical tone of arteries, which eases blood and oxygen flow around the body.

Such an impact could help build up resilience to the sort of onslaught stroke has, as well as speeding up recovery, they conclude.