Exercise provides a means for controlling your risk of a stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 136,000 people died from strokes in 2006, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. Exercise acts on the specific causes of strokes by targeting the cardiovascular system. Physical activity is also an important part of rehabilitation following a stroke and can help prevent a second event.
Cardiovascular Effects
Exercise trains the body to cope with stress. These effects are evident in adaptations in the cardiovascular system. Regular workouts strengthen the heart. Blood vessels respond by increasing their flexibility to accommodate large blood volumes. Over time, regular exercise will lower your resting heart rate and improve your blood pressure. You will also be better able to manage your weight and further reduce strain on your heart. In addition to preventing strokes, these effects will help prevent and treat high blood pressure.
Atherosclerosis Prevention
You will lower your risk of developing atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This occurs because of exercise's effects on blood cholesterol. Exercise causes an increase in HDL or good cholesterol. HDL assists the body in the removal of cholesterol that can build up within blood vessels. A buildup in the coronary arteries could lead to a heart attack.
Other Risk Factors
The American Heart Association explains that strokes often occur in individuals with other health conditions, particularly heart disease, a condition which exercise can also help prevent. Exercising after a stroke is essential to help prevent a reoccurrence. The association further recommends that stroke survivors include large muscle activities such as walking and treadmill use to exercise within 50 percent to 80 percent of their maximum heart rate, depending upon the patient's fitness level. Exercise is especially important for the elderly and those whose activity was impaired by their first stroke.
Precautions
While exercise is beneficial, it also carries risks if not performed properly. During weightlifting, proper technique is essential in order to avoid unsafe spikes in blood pressure during lifting exercises, explains a 1995 study by the Loma Linda University in California. Hypertension or dangerous spikes in blood pressure is a major risk factor for strokes in otherwise healthy, young adults. To help prevent its occurrence, you should follow the correct breathing technique, exhaling when lifting. You should also keep your glottis open. The glottis is the part of your voice box which you control to make sounds. In this way, you can avoid holding your breath and causing hypertension.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Leading Causes of Death
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; G. Tortora et al; 2005
- American Heart Association: Prevention and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
- "Circulation"; Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors; N. Gordon, et al.; February 2004
- "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation"; Influence of Breathing Technique on Arterial Blood Pressure during Heavy Weight Lifting; J. Narloch and M. Brandstater; May 1995
