How Post-Stroke Patients Should Exercise at Home
It is estimated that around 700,000 people suffer from a stroke in the United States every year, and about one third of those are recurring strokes, meaning that they occured in people who have suffered one prior. Strokes are notorious for causing depression and reducing motivation and ability to exercise. They also often cause weakness in muscle strength and loss of function, making exercise more dangerous. Exercise is crucial in order to prevent recurrent stroke and improve muscle strength and function. The recumbent stepper provides a safe, low-impact, full-body workout, making them a great option for post-stroke patients.
What is a Recumbent Stepper?
Recumbent steppers are a commonly used machine in physical therapy offices and are widely doctor recommended. It is very likely that you or a loved one have used one during rehabilitation after a stroke. They keep you in a comfortably seated, horizontal position and allow you to push the petals in a more linear motion, as opposed to the circular motion of a bike which is often tough on the knees, back, and hips. They are a great way to include upper body as well as lower body exercise into your daily routine, and include arm handles, which allow you to isolate your upper and lower body exercises. Simply remove your legs from the pedals to focus more on upper body, core, and arm strength. You can also remove your arms from the handles for a more lower body focused workout.
Doctor Recommended Exercise for Post-Stroke Patients
Doctors recommend aerobic exercise for 20-60 minutes, 3-7 days per week, as well as strength training with light weights or resistance 2-3 days per week in post-stroke patients. Recumbent steppers fulfill this requirement and more. Because loss of function and motor abilities are very common in post-stroke patients, exercise can be frightening. Recumbent steppers provide the safest, most supported method of full body exercise possible, and are ideal for post-stroke recovery. Because the user is seated and reclined, balance and coordination are much more possible, opposed to traditional exercise machines such as bikes and treadmills which increase the risk of fall and injury. This allows the user to take the experience of being in a physical therapy office to the comfort of their own home. Additional attachments such as leg, chest, foot and hand stabilizers can be used for additional support if needed. Recumbent steppers also provide a regulated workout, with adjustable resistance levels and pre-programmed workouts, so that the user can better control their movement. Crucial warm up and cool down features are also often included.
“This allows the user to take the experience of being in a physical therapy office to the comfort of their own home.”
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
Some of the benefits of aerobic exercise include:
- Improves cardiovascular conditioning
- Decreases risk of heart disease
- Lowers blood pressure
- Increases HDL (“good” cholesterol)
- Better controlled blood sugar
- Assists in weight loss/management
- Improves lung function
- Decreases resting heart rate
As always, it is most recommended to see a doctor to talk about what is right for you. Level of exercise is dependent on the patient, and varies between everyone. Remember that increasing intensity should be done over time. Challenging yourself is good, but only for a few minutes at a time.
