Stroke, Back or Brain – More Evidence on the Benefits of Exercise

October 21, 2008 by Aubrey01 

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Medically speaking it was a good week for the proponents of exercise.  At the same time that Ali Vincent has become the new spokeswoman for 24 hour fitness, five studies have been released within the last several days highlighting the benefits of exercise.

Proper exercise and physical activity can speed up recovery from back surgery, lessen stroke severity, reduce uterine cancer risk, as well as reverse mental decline in older adults.

Here are the results:

• Dr. Lars-Henrik Krarup, from Copenhagen University Hospital, and colleagues looked at 265 people who had suffered a first stroke. “Subjects with the best outcome were up to 2 hours more physically active than the most sedentary subjects on a daily basis,” he added. “The activities included not only specific exercises but also physical work in the garden and heavy housework,” emphasizing that physical activity can be incorporated into daily routines.

• Dr. Alpa V. Patel and colleagues at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta identified 466 women who developed endometrial cancer between 1992 and 2003 among approximately 43,000 older “postmenopausal” women. Questionnaire responses showed that physically active women engaged primarily in low- to moderate-intensity activities, such as walking, biking, aerobics or dancing, equivalent to about 2 hours of moderately paced walking per week.

• Prof. Art Kramer, of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, says there is substantial evidence showing the benefits of aerobic exercise and physical activity on such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch task.  Some studies found that six months of aerobic exercise reversed age-related decline and that older adults’ brains retained plasticity — the capacity to grow and develop.

• Exercise therapy after surgery for a slipped disc may help people get over their pain and disability more quickly, a research review suggests.   And there was no evidence that rehab raised the risk of repeat surgery.

Related Links and information:

• Physical Activity May Lessen Stroke Severity (Reuters Health)
• Exercise May Cut Uterine Cancer Risk in Heavy Women (Reuters Health)
• Aerobics Can Reverse Mental Decline in Older Adults (HealthDay)
• Exercise After Back Surgery May Speed Recovery (Reuters Health)
• Strength Training Good for the Aging Brain (Reuters Health)