The simple secret to a long life after stroke

I realize I harp on exercise all the time. But the fact is, study after study shows that consistent movement really is one of the single best ways to save your own life.  

And it doesn’t even take a lot, either.  

In fact, as the research I’m about to share today shows, simply going on a 30-minute walk every day could cut your risk of death dramatically—at least, if you’re a stroke survivor… 

Slash death risk by 80 percent 

This study, featured in the journal Neurology, looked at nearly 900 people with an average age of 72 years, all of whom had suffered a previous stroke. Researchers compared them with 97,805 people with an average age of 63, who hadn’t had strokes.  

They assessed weekly activity levels based on questionnaires that accounted for time spent on typical activities like walking, running, weight training, gardening, swimming, and cycling.  

Average follow-up lasted just shy of five years. As you might expect, researchers found that the people who had suffered strokes faced a higher risk of death by any cause compared to those who hadn’t had strokes. (Overall mortality risk increased by 25 percent and 6 percent, respectively.) 

But here’s the thing: Among stroke survivors, those who walked or gardened at least three to four hours weekly—that’s less than 30 minutes a day—had a 54 percent lower risk of death from any cause.  

And among stroke survivors younger than 75, the benefit was even bigger! When this group exercised for at least three to four hours weekly, their risk of death dropped by a whopping 80 percent.   

In other words, a little bit of daily movement could quite literally increase your lifespan. Especially if you’re a stroke survivor. 

Sitting disease is deadly 

No matter what your own personal medical history is, let me remind you that being a couch potato comes with very serious risks.  

In fact, I recently shared how a sedentary lifestyle—also known as “sitting disease”—is responsible for eight percent of all chronic disease and death. That’s one in every 14 deaths being attributed to inactivity! 

And today’s study defined physical inactivity as fewer than the standard recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, per week. In other words, it excluded a completely sedentary lifestyle.   

But even this level of inactivity caused just over seven percent of both cardiovascular disease deaths, and deaths by any cause. So you can just imagine the dire consequences that absolutely no movement may bring. 

The good news is, these are odds you can beat quite easily… simply by getting up and taking a walk. 

Of course, I also realize that some conditions—like chronic pain—may interfere with daily movement. But let me assure you that this doesn’t doom you to a fate of sitting disease, either. In fact, I dedicated a feature to this very subject in the latest issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“ALERT: Chronic pain sufferers MUST stay active”).  

So if you’re not a subscriber yet, what are you waiting for? Click here to sign up today.     

Source: 

“People with stroke who walk 30 minutes per day may have 54% lower risk of early death.” Science Daily, 08/11/2021. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210811175147.htm)