It seems that exercising on a motorized stationary bike may help boost stroke patients’ brain and motor skills recovery.
The study included 17 stroke survivors, all who took part in repetitive task therapy, such as relearning how to hold a cup or fork, or how to dress themselves.
All patients did 24 exercise sessions over eight weeks. At the end of that time, the patients who used a motorized stationary bike showed a 34 percent improvement in motor skills, compared with a 16-17 percent improvement in the non-motorized stationary bike users.
Earlier research has shown that aerobic exercise helps the brain learn new information, and that forced exercise on a motorized stationary bike benefits Parkinson’s disease patients. Additionally, aerobic exercise may help enhance the brain’s ability to reorganize itself and form new connections, the study authors said.
The motorized stationary bike helped patients with limited mobility to pedal and achieve and maintain the intensity of training believed necessary to affect brain function, the researchers noted.
“Not only are we improving motor recovery with half the amount of task practice but we’re also improving cardiovascular health, and stroke patients often have cardiovascular (problems),” study author Susan Linder, a physical therapist at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a stroke association news release.
“If we can improve motor recovery and cardiovascular health simultaneously, patients can regain lost motor function and improve their quality of life.”
