Why Stroke Survivors Are Doing Recovery Wrong
Why strength training beats cardio for real recovery
Everyone always talks about cardio when it comes to stroke recovery.
And for good reason, walking is essential.
But here's the question you should be asking:
How strong am I?
I'm not talking about getting back to your pre-stroke fitness level.
I'm talking about actual, real-world strength that lets you live independently.
Here's the brutal truth...
You lose 8% of your muscle mass each decade after 40.
Then you have a stroke.
And *boom* your strength disappears overnight.
My stroke left me with left-side weakness. Simple tasks became struggles.
But here's what scared me more than another stroke...
Getting weaker every year until I couldn't take care of myself.
Most stroke survivors are terrified of strength training. They think lifting weights will trigger another stroke.
So they stick to "safe" cardio.
Cycling machines. Rowing machines. Walking.
That's exactly what my physical therapist got me doing.
And IMO, it's the wrong way around.
Here's what I learned the hard way:
Cardio without strength training is like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it.
You're fighting muscle loss with the wrong weapon.
The sweet spot? Strength train at least 2x per week.
But there's the catch for stroke survivors...
Over-exertion causes fatigue. Fatigue makes everything harder. Sometimes impossible.
So start small. Listen to your body. Progress slowly.
The good news? You can do this from home.
No gym intimidation.
No complicated equipment.
Just a solid, simple plan that rebuilds what the stroke took away, and then some.
At 64, seven years post-stroke, I'm getting stronger in just 10 minutes a day.
I'm not special.
I chose strength over fear.
You should, too.
Let's talk about it,
Ian
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