Rehab in a self-isolating environment - By Brian Beh

For the past weeks I have been working with Doctor Simone Dorsch, Senior Lecturer, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney in developing a series of rehab exercises for execution in the homes of Stroke Survivors.

The objective is to develop a program of high intensity exercises so that Stroke survivors are able to continue their rehab journey in these challenging times.

I have been doing my exercise regime my home and the set up requires a degree of creativity!

My set up needs a space where I can exercise safely; some black tape[all stroke survivors should be familiar with this item]; a ruler and several of my wife’s cookbooks and a book on Kandinsky art \{to form a block for my stepping exercise\}

Each Thursday Simone and I have been meeting via Zoom and running through a series of exercises designed to improve my walking, stepping and balance.

Then each day for the following week I do several hundred repetitions of these exercises, timed with my trusty metronome! On the following Thursday we again meet [via Zoom] to review my progress and modify the targets to ensure continual progress and improved walking.

Since I have started the improvement has been very pleasing- I have improved in all aspects of my walking, stepping and balance -the continued rehab is certainly paying off!

Invariably once started on my daily reps I keep going and end up doing about 1,000 repetitions in total.

This is in addition to my walking target of 30,000 steps each day, which I say modestly I achieve.

But it has not been plain sailing or walking!

I am wearing out walking shoes at a scary rate, plus I had a painful visit to the podiatrist last week to remove 2 corns that had grown!

This is a great example of co-operation between a Stroke Survivor and an internationally respected clinician to develop timely and relevant rehab solutions that meet the challenge of these times we are living through.