Expert names 12 best activities and exercises for stroke prevention

swimming coach

“The most affordable means of keeping your cardiovascular system toned and preventing stroke is walking. To perform this exercise, you do not need special equipment. Just your desire and time. Just 30 minutes of walking a day reduces the risk of stroke by as much as 11%! You can also use Nordic walking poles for convenience and an extra little bit of exercise.”

To prevent stroke, it is recommended to use in your daily warm-up exercises that improve blood flow to the brain. They consist of changing the position of the head.

1. Head tilts in different directions

Perform them smoothly, without jerks, feeling the muscles of the neck. It is equally important to watch your breathing while performing them. First you tilt your head to the right, then slowly tilt it to the left, then – forward and backward. Repeat the exercise several times.

2. Head rotations

The exercise consists in slow and controlled rotation of the head to the left side and then to the right. Repeat several times.

3. Head turns

Smoothly and slowly turn your head to the right, left, up and down, repeating several times.

Important! If during the exercises you have unpleasant sensations, dizziness, darkening in the eyes, it is necessary to stop for a short rest and continue a little later, reducing the intensity of performance.

4. Rotations of arms and legs

These exercises improve blood flow. They should be performed slowly. Rotate your hands and feet first to the right side and then to the left, repeating the exercise several times.

5. Swimming, aqua aerobics, taking balneological baths

This is exactly what perfectly trains the heart and blood vessels. Involvement of all muscle groups, a minimum of joint movements, strengthening of blood vessels and their walls – these are not all the advantages of swimming. It is recommended to do a small warm-up before the session. Also, if desired, you can invite a coach to control the load and correctness of movements. It is not necessary to swim at speed, but you should not move slowly either. Choose a pace that is comfortable for you and enjoy.

6. Dancing

Dancing is also a great workout for your brain vessels. During the class you train coordination, reduce the tone of blood vessels, so they become more elastic. Do not forget that blood circulation improves and it is enriched with oxygen.

7. Walking on a stepper

If you have the opportunity to use such an exercise machine, you are very lucky. After all, training on it is effective for stroke prevention. “Moving stairs” works on the principle of an escalator in the subway. To start exercising, you need to properly assess your fitness level. This can be done at your doctor’s office or at the gym.

8. Walking in the forest or park, Nordic walking

Vigorous walking in the fresh air promotes weight loss, toning, relieves clamps and tension in the whole body. In addition, it helps to restore calmness, clarity of thought, as well as balance and connection with your inner world.

Walking in the forest is the best prevention of a number of diseases

9. Light jogging

Unhurried jogging is also recommended to improve leg vascular health. But running is also not as easy as it seems. To prevent injuries and proper training, you must first of all choose the right shoes, taking into account the anatomical features of the foot.

10. Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck

The cause of a stroke can be pathologies of the neck vessels. By strengthening the neck muscles, you can prevent them. Here are two exercises to strengthen the neck muscles, which should be performed three to five times a day.

• Stand with your back against the wall so that all parts of the body were tightly pressed against it. Next, on an inhalation you need to maximally rest against the wall, tensing the neck muscles, and stay in this position for five to six seconds, not forgetting to hold your breath.
• Sit on a chair, place the palm of your hand on your forehead and, taking a breath, maximally press on it, as if tilting your head back. At the same time, you need to resist the pressure by tensing the muscles of the neck. Stop breathing for five to seven seconds and hold in this position. After that, rest for 10-12 seconds and repeat.

11. cycling

Cycling is another effective way to keep yourself from having a stroke. If you are not bothered by street disturbances, take your bike and ride out boldly. Alternatively, you can use an exercise bike.

12. yoga

This type of exercise has the most positive effect on the cardiovascular system, which is why yoga has gained momentum and is also recommended by doctors. But the exercises need to be performed correctly and smoothly without harming yourself.

Smooth yoga is useful at any age

Die Meinung des Arztes

Ph.D., doctor of integrative, preventive and conventional medicine

“To understand how to prevent the development of stroke, we need to determine the nature of the disease. Stroke is a consequence of blood vessel blockage in the brain by a thrombus or a consequence of vessel rupture due to pressure drop. There is a logical conclusion – to prevent stroke, it is necessary to control blood pressure and the accumulation of blood clots. First of all, efforts should be made to correct lifestyle: avoiding sugar to prevent atherosclerosis, reducing the level of salt in the diet (to normalize blood pressure), limiting the intake of alcohol (to avoid pressure spikes), support healthy weight (insulin resistance and obesity – risk factors for stroke), regular physical activity (of any nature, aimed at improving blood circulation)”.

It is worth noting that all these methods refer to early stroke prevention, when the risk of developing the disease is still a little, blood parameters are in order, a person is healthy. After 55-60 years of age, it is necessary to regularly visit a doctor to check the condition.

Among the recommendations for people regardless of age and sex on physical activity – any type of activity that promotes blood supply to the brain – turns and tilts of the head, inclines (yoga, Pilates, groups of exercises for the neck and shoulder department), as well as exercises that help improve blood circulation of the extremities – dancing, walking, squats.