Stroke patients who regularly go for a walk or work in the garden could halve their risk of dying early.
The reduced risk was seen in those whose exercise levels reached the equivalent of at least three to four hours of walking or gardening a week, or two to three hours of cycling.
Every year more than 100,000 Britons have a stroke, and there are 1.2million stroke survivors living in this country.
These survivors are at greater risk of heart attacks and heart failure – often because of factors which caused the stroke, such as high blood pressure.
A study has shown stroke survivors who exercise enough have a 54 per cent lower risk of dying. Even those aged 75 and over saw a 32 per cent reduction in their risk of dying (stock photo)
But now a study shows those who exercise enough have a 54 per cent lower risk of dying. Even those aged 75 and over saw a 32 per cent reduction in their risk of dying.
‘Our results are exciting, because just three to four hours a week of walking was associated with big reductions in mort ality,’ said Dr Raed Joundi, author of the study from the University of Calgary, Canada.
‘A better understanding of the role of physical activity in the health of people who survive stroke is needed to design better exercise therapies and public health campaigns.’
The researchers, whose study was published in the journal Neurology, looked at 895 stroke survivors who completed a national health survey in Canada between 2009 and 2014.
They were asked how much time they had spent in the past three months on activities including walking, running, swimming, sports, cycling and gardening.
Dr Richard Francis of the Stroke Association, cautioned that the number of patients in the study was small but said: ‘This research reflects that regular, low-impact physical activity, like walking, can help stroke survivors stay healthy.’
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