Suffering a stroke can leave patients with severe physical and mental handicaps, but recovery from these obstacles is more common than you might think. While it’s important for a stroke victim to receive professional care from physical therapists and speech pathologists, there are some exercises that can be done at home that will improve a prognosis as well. Here is a look at five exercises that can aid in treatment after a stroke.
Balancing
Many times after people suffer a stroke, their balance when sitting becomes compromised. Because sitting is such a crucial part of everyday activities, it’s important that they regain this skill quickly. For this reason, balancing exercises should be some of the first exercises a patient does. To begin, patients should practice moving slowly from side to side while seated without bending at the waist to do so. When this skill is mastered, they should move on to more complex movements, like reaching toward their “weak side” with their unaffected arms and standing up from a seated position.
Stretching
A stroke can often leave patients with tight muscles, which can cause muscle shortening or damage to joints due to the excess pressure. Gentle stretching should be a part of exercise for patients as well. Movements such as twisting at the waist, forward bends, and arm stretches should all be included on a regular basis.
Resistance Training
Muscle deterioration is another common side effect of a stroke, and the best way to rebuild lost strength is through resistance training. While it is possible to progress to using free weights, in the early stages of recovery, it’s best to stick with lightly weighted wristbands to avoid injury. Even simple exercises such as bicep curls and overhead presses can prove to be incredibly beneficial, so sticking to the basics is perfectly fine.
Eye Training
While much of the focus for stroke rehabilitation centers on regaining lost muscle strength, it’s just as important to focus on other aspects of health as well—such as improving vision. Not all eye problems stemming from a stroke can be addressed with exercises, but some simple ones, blurry vision for instance, can be improved. An easy beginning activity is practicing switching from focusing on something far away to something close up until the eyes become adept at making the change quickly.
Cognitive Training
If a patient has lost some cognitive ability after a stroke, certain brain exercises may be able to help. Memory games with matching cards and logic puzzles can help sufferers regain basic thinking skills, but it’s also important to focus on activities that will help improve performance on everyday tasks such as cooking and hygiene.
