Stress & Your Stroke Risk

Stressed out? Well, aren’t we all? But that doesn’t help our stroke risk, Yosef Meystel has found out. But we can work towards lowering our stroke risk by lowering our stress levels according to researcher Ana Maria Garcia, MD, of the Hospital Clinico Universitario San Carlos in Madrid.

When dealing with stress, it’s best to deal with it by using The Four A’s:

• Avoid the stressor.
• Alter the stressor.
• Adapt to the stressor.
• Accept the stressor.

There are a few ways you can manage or reduce your stress. One suggestion is a stress journal. In this journal you write what is causing your stress, how you feel about it, how you are reacting and how you can make yourself less stressed about the situation/what made you feel better.

Other ways to relax is by exercise; go for a walk, job it our or jump on the bike. It’s best to do this outside because fresh air and nature can have a calming effect. You can always try calling a friend to talk things out or to lighten your mood, take a long bath, have a warm cup of tea. Pets are also great de-stressors and can help keep blood pressure low and moods high.

Next time you’re stressed, take a few deep breaths and use one of these stress relievers to tackle your stress to lower your risk for stroke.

Exercise After Stroke

Yosef Meystel knows that for most of our lives we’ve been told that exercise is an important part of our life, and a staple to our health. When we’re little kids it helps us grow and burn off our energy, as adults it keeps us healthy and provides many other benefits; later in life it can help us recover from strokes.

People who have suffered from strokes can improve their memory, thinking, language and judgment problems by nearly 50 percent through exercise, according to a new Canadian study. Yosef Meystel read that it is suggested that exercise should be a routine part of treatment that follows the stroke.

Serious exercise is not needed for stroke patients; mild to moderate exercise, depending on the patient, is suggested. Walking, light weights and body resistance five days a week are some good exercises to do.

“Healthy living is important for reducing your risk for stroke, recovering from stroke and preventing another,” Ian Joiner, director of stroke for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said in the news release. “All of us should manage our risk factors for stroke and, when needed, have access to information and counseling about strategies to modify our lifestyle choices.”