Regular Walking or Aerobic Exercise lowers risk from Stroke
By
David Holt
of
David Holt
Regular exercise benefits more than your heart. Studies show that regular aerobic exercise such as walking or running can reduce your risk of a stroke by one half.
Stroke is also called a brain attack or a cerebral vascular accident (CVA)
A 30 minute walk or run can save your life.
Burning
Calories also Cuts Your Stroke Risk Burning
1,000 calories a week -- such as walking briskly for 30 minutes, five days a week --
can lower your stroke risk by 24%. According to a study of more than 11,000 men (Stroke,
Oct 1998), if you exercise to the tune of 2,000 calories a week, you'll cut your stroke
risk by nearly half. .
Your activities need to be at least moderate in intensity," says study author I-Min Lee,
MD, ScD, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "Brisk walking, gardening,
dancing, or bicycling are good examples. Light activities such as bowling and general
housekeeping did not have the same effect."
Exercise at work also cuts stroke risk.
According to a study of nearly 16,000 men and women (American Heart Association
Scientific Sessions, Dallas, Nov 1998), exercise at work decreases stroke risk. Those who
were most active-walking, standing, or lifting heavy loads the most-had half the risk of
stroke.
Exercise may protect against stroke by modifying risk factors such as high blood pressure,
body weight, and blood clotting ability: But exercise also improves your brains circulation
due to less plaque being laid down in the vital arteries.
Make an exercise plan to reduce your risk of a stroke.
A Stroke Prevention Plan
Walking about an hour, five days a week, burns 2,000 calories. But each walk burns 400
calories, so substitute one of these at least once a week to add variety.
Replace 60 minutes of walking with.
Cross-country ski machine -- 30 minutes
Running, 6 mph -- 30 minutes
Tennis -- 50 minutes
Step aerobics -- 50 minutes
Bicycling, 10-12 mph -- 60 minutes
Stairclimber -- 60
Swimming -- 60
Gardening -- 70
* based on a 150-pound person
But also get your blood pressure, blood lipids and weight down.
The higher your cholesterol, the higher is your risk of a stroke. The higher your blood pressure is, the higher your risk of stroke. Use regular exercise and healthy eating to lower both.
Some experts are now calling a stroke a "brain attack" because of its similarities to a heart attack.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, taking about 160,000 people per year, but it is no accident.
Stroke is also called a cerebral vascular accident or CVA, but if you can reduce your CVA risk by half simply by exercise, a CVA is not an accident, it's the result of neglecting to exercise.
Other cerebral vascular accident risk factors include diabetes mellitus, hypertension and elevated cholesterol, all of which will decrease with regular exercise.
You'll need other actions to clear your atrial fibrillation, smoking, excessive alcohol use, or a diet high in fat and sodium.
Stroke symptoms include
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg,
especially if on one side of the body
Sudden confusion
trouble speaking or understanding
sudden trouble seeing or walking
dizziness or loss of balance and coordination
sudden severe headache with no known cause
Time is vital if you are having a stroke, so call 911
Don't forget the food pyramid
A study of over 100,000 men and women has found that
consuming just five to six servings of vegitables per day
can reduce your stroke risk by 31 percent. (The Journal of the
American Medical Association, October 6th, 1999.)
The most benefit: came from cruciferous veggies like cabbage, bok choy, broccoli,
brussels sprouts and cauliflower, green leafy vegetables, plus citrus fruits and citrus juice.
Each additional serving of fruit and vegetable up to the sixth daily veg was associated with
a 6 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke.
