Stroke survivors who take leisurely walks or attend to nonstrenuous household chores may experience fewer physical limitations than their more sedentary peers, according to a study which may lead to better clinical recovery guidelines for those overcoming the medical condition.
Researchers, including those from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US, used accelerometers to measure daily physical activity in 30 stroke survivors for a week, assessing how much the participants moved, and how well they performed routine physical tasks.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, noted that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and daily routines that keep people physically engaged in lighter tasks contribute to better physical functioning in stroke survivors
"Stroke is a major cause of disability in older adults," said Neha Gothe, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who led the research.
"We know that physical activity can improve how well people survive a stroke and recover after the fact. But almost no research has looked at how physical activity of different intensities affects physical function among stroke survivors," Gothe said.
The scientists used two measures of physical ability.
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One was the Short Physical Performance Battery, which measures balance, walking speed and lower-limb endurance.
And the other, they said, was the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument, which asks participants to report how difficult it is for them to perform daily tasks such as getting in and out of a car, or pouring water from a heavy pitcher.
According to the researchers, on average, the stroke survivors logged only about seven minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day.
"In contrast, they averaged more than three hours of light physical activity each day," Gothe added.
"This includes things like walking at a leisurely pace, housekeeping, light gardening or other activities that do not cause a person to break a sweat," she said.
The amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, according to the study, is the best predictor of participants' performance on objective measures of physical function.
"Our findings are preliminary but suggest that - in addition to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity - those daily routines that keep us on our feet and physically engaged in lighter tasks also contribute to better physical functioning in stroke survivors," the scientists noted.
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