You may be able to sidestep the most serious after-effects of a stroke by exercising regularly, according to a new study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Researchers looked at active elderly men and women and inactive individuals who all recently suffered a stroke. They found that the latter performed significantly worse when completing common daily activities like dressing, bathing and reading.
Unlike the gym-goers, the inactive people were also generally unable to return to work. The in-shape study subjects were categorized as regularly completing three exercise sessions per week, each lasting at least 20 minutes. Those who tackled four or more bouts of weekly exercise tested even better.
“The straightforward explanation is that if you are physically fit, you can compensate better for the deficit caused by the stroke because you have more reserve,” says the study’s author. “That may not be the whole picture, but it is probably much of it.”
What’s more, exercise leads to a decreased risk of having a stroke to begin with. It's never too late to start, so take a jog, ride your bike, jump in the pool for a few laps, or start a training program today.