How soon after stroke should you be engaging in exercise and how much is a good start?

Hi Melissah,

Thank you for getting in touch and for your question about exercise. I am sorry to hear about your stroke and your extreme fatigue. Fatigue can be quite debilitating but finding a healthy balance of exercise and rest can have positive effects on both the body and mind. It is great that you are keen to find out more.

It is generally ok for stroke survivors to be engaging in exercises early after a stroke. Even in hospital, it is recommended that stroke survivors start moving and out of bed activities at about 48 hours after a stroke. In your situation, two weeks after a stroke, the guidance and support from a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist is beneficial. If your exercise is not targeting specific deficits from the stroke and is addressing extreme fatigue, you could start by incorporating less sitting through your day, short walks or light jobs around the house. These activities may sound simple but it is ok to start here.

It would be a good idea to jot down your exercise time, rest time, how you feel after these activities and any patterns that may emerge for your individual situation. E.g. The mornings may feel better for exercise than the afternoon or vice versa. You may find that a few shorter activities may feel better than one long activity. If things are feeling ok, you could look at increasing the walk by 1 min a day or increase the number of light jobs by 1 a day or the amount of time you spend on your feet. Keep monitoring in your journal and setting goals with your therapist.

If you are looking into more intensive exercise programs, you could also talk to your GP and get clearance from them for these activities.  Your therapist may then help you look into exercises you enjoyed before such as yoga, swimming or light gym work as an example. Finding what you enjoy, and grading them to a manageable level will help with exercising consistently. Your GP could also check that your level of fatigue is not due to any other medical cause- they can complete blood tests or check your nutrition requirements.

Although fatigue can slow down your exercise, it is important to note that having a manageable exercise program can also have a positive effect on your fatigue levels. It is also very difficult to find this perfect balance! Be kind to yourself if you do find the fatigue too extreme and you need to rest. When you are ready, take this event as an opportunity to reflect and reevaluate.

Here are a few resources that may help

Physical activity and exercise podcast

EnableMe Resource page on exercise

Fatigue podcast

EnableMe Resource page on fatigue

I hope this helps. If you need further advice, please don’t hesitate to call us on StrokeLine 1800 787 653 to speak with one of our health professionals.

Warm regards,

Kath (StrokeLine)