Hi Martyn,
Thank you for asking us this question. It is good that you are seeking clarification about stretching and whether it helps from getting a stroke. Here in the Stroke Foundation in Australia we have clinical guidelines that steer our prevention, assessment and treatment of stroke in the country. A large amount of evidence needs to be gathered to create a guideline about aspects of care. We collate our evidence from all over the world.
The study from the segment you mentioned was a small one and we don’t have enough evidence about stretching to prevent strokes. What we know is that completing 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most if not all days of the week, and breaking up sitting times is beneficial in addressing risk factors that lead to stroke. However, there may be some benefit in incorporating stretching into a program with moderate intensity physical activity.
The American Heart and Stroke Association also have guidelines specific to stroke survivors. They say that stroke survivors should be doing about 20–60 minutes of aerobic activity, three to five days a week, and they should also be doing strength and neuromuscular and flexibility training two to three times a week. The Australian government also promotes flexibility into guidelines around exercise too in their ‘Physical activity guide to older Australians’.
Stretching may be of benefit as an addition to moderate intensity physical activity. I will emphasise that there is a lot of evidence around moderate intensity of physical activity for stroke prevention and not enough on stretching for stroke prevention. To come up with an exercise program and tailor it to your needs, especially after an emergency laparotomy, it would be good to see a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist.
We do have a podcast on yoga, that you might be interested in. Although there is currently not a lot of evidence between yoga and stroke prevention, many people in our community do find it beneficial to the body and mind.
Here is some information about exercise that you may find useful
Clinical Guidelines- physical activity
Other things to remember in terms of risk factors and stroke prevention can be found below
Stroke Foundation- preventing stroke
If you would like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to call us on StrokeLine 1800 787 653 or email us a reply to strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au
Warm regards,
Kath (StrokeLine)
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