Exercising 30 Minutes a Day Helps Stroke Survivors Live Longer

Life after a stroke can be full of challenges but certain measures can help one live a better life. A recently conducted study concluded that thirty minutes of walking or exercising in a day can cut the mortality risk by fifty percent for stroke survivors. McKnight’s reports this study was conducted with both stroke survivors and individuals who had not experienced a stroke.

Two groups of older adults participated in this research. One group consisted of 900 people who were stroke survivors and the other group of 97,000 people who never had a stroke. These individuals were followed for about four and a half years.

Stroke survivors who walked three to four hours each day had a 15 percent death rate compared to 33 percent who did not walk for this long. Survivors who were ages 75 and younger experienced the greatest cut in mortality risk. Those who did the minimum amount of recommended exercise were 80 percent less likely to die. Individuals who were over the age of 75 also experienced benefits if they exercised as they were 32 percent less likely to die.

Dr. Raed A. Joundi, M.D., Ph.D., concluded “our results suggest that getting a minimum amount of physical activity may reduce long-term mortality from any cause in stroke survivors. We should particularly emphasize this to stroke survivors who are younger in age, as they may gain the greatest health benefits from walking just thirty minutes each day.”

The more the participants walked in a day the more benefits they experienced.

Joundi also stated “a better understanding of the role of physical activity in the health of people who survive stroke is needed to design better exercise therapies and public health campaigns so we can help these individuals live longer.”

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