Staying Healthy After a Stroke or Brain Injury by Walking

One of the best things you can do to stay healthy after a stroke or brain injury is walk. Stroke and brain injury can affect your ability to move and control your muscles, including those needed for walking. While regaining the ability to walk often requires the help of a physical therapist, it is important to keep walking regularly to maintain strength and coordination.

Walking also has many other benefits. It can improve circulation, which is crucial for the healing process. It helps maintain muscle tone and flexibility, preventing muscles from getting weak or stiff. Plus, it can boost your mood and reduce the risk of depression, which is common after a stroke. Walking has even been shown to prevent dementia.

It can be challenging to develop a daily walking routine. Here are a few of our favorite ways to get more walking in your day. 

Set an achievable goal. Walk to the end of the block and back. Build up to walking around the block. Then two blocks. Keep building up your distance. 

Walk with a friend. Making a plan to walk with someone else helps to hold us accountable. It can also be more fun! 

Create a plan for walking inside during inclement weather. Plan to walk the hallways of your apartment building or go to a mall. Walking up and down the aisle of the grocery store is a great option too. 

As we mentioned, it’s important to have the support of a physical therapist to learn to walk again after a stroke or brain injury. Occupational therapy can help you incorporate walking into your daily routine, learn to navigate your neighborhood, and problem solve safe places to walk. 

If you’d like to learn more about how occupational therapy can help you develop healthy habits and routines contact us today.