At 57, these are the exercises I’m doing to prevent falls in later life

 

I can't jump at all, not even an inch off the floor, which is bizarre since my left leg still has massive power! Demand your competent? doctor give you EXACT PROTOCOLS to accomplish this!

At 57, these are the exercises I’m doing to prevent falls in later life

I’m bounding across the gym, springing as far as I can with every great leap. Then I’m dashing up and down, sprinting as fast as I can. Why am I flinging myself around the room at 57, as if my life depends on it? Because, in a way, it does. I want to reduce my risk of a fall in my 80s.

Most of us know that we should strength train to ward off age-related muscle loss. Yet there is another physical ability that drains away with the years, and it’s even more critical than muscle strength in preventing falls and fractures in later life – power. Power requires strength but relates to how fast you can move.

It’s crucial because the faster you can right yourself if you trip over the cat, the less likely you are to fall flat and crack a hip. Jon Roberts, technical director at Evolution Longevity clubs, says: “Power’s all about speed of reaction.” He adds: “With falls, as you lose your balance – how quickly can you react to that loss of balance? That’s what prevents falls.”

Power is the reason why, in midlife, my fitness regime includes not just slow, controlled muscle-building exercises, like deadlifts, but also speedy, springy movements that require sudden bursts of force.

Related video: Fitness program helps folks stay strong after 50 (FOX 13 Tampa Bay) 

“The difference between a strength exercise versus a power exercise is that for power, you’re using less weight, but using speed as your added resistance,” says Roberts.

Jumping in midlife could prevent a broken hip

 I learnt the critical importance of power two years ago, at 55, when a private bone scan at Evolution revealed I had osteoporosis. Two years on, my power moves – part of three-times-weekly targeted strength training sessions with an Evolution PT – have significantly increased my bone density. “Power creates torsion on the bones,” says Jon Roberts. “Powerful movement puts a force on the bones which can help strengthen them.” But along with stronger bones, I can now sprint for the bus with a solid chance of staying upright if I trip. Sarcopenia makes headlines, yet evidence shows that motor power capacity reduces faster with age than muscle strength, and that this loss of power is more strongly associated with reduced function and age-related decline. Scientists are taking note, and the aptly named Dr Geoffrey Power, associate professor at the Neuromechanical Performance Research Laboratory at the University of Guelph in Canada, was a keynote speaker at the third international annual seminar on “powerpenia” in Brazil earlier this year. “It’s something that people should really be paying attention to,” he says. “We notice losses in power – loss of strength and slowed movements – occurring before we have the loss of muscle. It’s proposed as an earlier biomarker of impaired function in ageing.” Happily, there’s a lot you can do at home to boost your power and avoid frailty and falls in later life. 

How to tell if your muscles are powerful enough

When I started training, I hadn’t done any fast, explosive movement such as sprinting, tennis or jumping for decades. I didn’t notice I was losing power because all my activities – swimming, yoga, slow runs – were careful and deliberate. But there can be subtle signs. Dr Power says that tripping more often can indicate declining power. Plus, “You can notice gait speed slowing. Fear of falling starts to come into play. Really slowed movement is the strongest indicator that maybe muscles are not generating as much power as they used to.”

To gauge your power, try the jump test, says Jon Roberts. You’ll need some Post-it notes. “You stand, arm extended, and stick the Post-it on the wall.” Then, he says, “bend from the knees into a squat movement and jump as high as you can. Keep your arm fully extended and stick a new Post-it note at the highest point you can reach.”

Jump test: measure how high you can jump by comparing the height of two Post-it marks on a wall.

(Not possible at all, I can't jump!)

You’re measuring the height difference between the first and second mark, and, if someone can time you, reaction speed. “That relates to how powerful you are. That’s the ultimate test.” For men aged 50-59, a jump height of 33-39cm is in the “acceptable range”. For women aged 50-59, it’s 24-28cm. Whereas 50cm is considered “high power” in men aged 40 and over, and 40cm is “high power” in women of the same age.

Jumping 90cm or higher? You’re “elite” (or an NBA player).

Leg power doesn’t just prevent falls, it’s also good for your brain

Roberts cites a study, Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing, published in the journal Gerontology in 2016 by scientists at King’s College London. Over 10 years, they tracked 324 healthy female twins, aged 55 on average. At the start, each had her leg power measured via a single, explosive push against a pedal, “as if performing an emergency stop in a car”. Researchers found that women with more leg power when the study began showed less decline in memory and mental processing speed over the following 10 years. Roberts says: “Leg power was the most consistent predictor of how well the brain aged.”

What I do – and why

There’s one snag with power moves – you can’t just jump straight in and start doing them, or you risk injury. I didn’t attempt kettlebell swings or medicine ball throws until I’d become fitter and stronger. “You need to strengthen the muscles, the tendons, you need to have coordination and improve function,” says Dr Power. “Then individuals can do power-type training. This involves increasing movement speed, and starting to focus on the idea of explosive contractions – or ‘rate of force’ development.”

My training sessions include lunges, squats, lateral pulldowns and bench presses, progressively increasing the weights I work with. This has built stronger bones, increased my muscle mass and strength, and, as Dr Power notes, such work “ultimately increases power as well.”

But to turbocharge power, I do the following moves:

Five ways to test and build power

1. Visualise your power move

Just thinking about doing an exercise fast can improve function. It’s called “ballistic intent”. Tell yourself, “‘I’m going to do this squat, and in my head now, I’m planning that it’s going to be an explosive movement,’” says Dr Power. “That in and of itself can improve the rate of force development.”

2. Kettlebell swing

Kettlebell swing, using explosive hip power to drive the weight to chest height.

(If I get mine down to 5lbs. I can do this.)

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place the kettlebell on the floor a short distance in front of your feet. Hinge at your hips, with your knees bent and back flat. Brace your core and upper body. Grasp the kettlebell handle, lift it off the floor and use the power of your glutes to snap your hips forward until you’re upright, swinging the kettlebell to chest height. “This is a power exercise as it requires speed and acceleration to make the kettlebell move,” says Jon Roberts.

3. The 10m sprint

10m sprint: time yourself over 10m to assess your power and speed, with faster times indicating better power

(Can't run at all, spasticity prevents the left foot from being straight and has no free swinging lower leg!)

Mark out a 10m strip. Time yourself to sprint that 10m distance. For men over 50, an acceptable time is 1.85-2 seconds, and for women, 1.95-2.1 seconds. For men, sprinting 10m in 1.70-1.85 seconds is a marker of good power. For women, it’s 1.80-1.95 seconds. Keep practising to improve power.

4. Single-leg sit-to-stand

Single-leg sit-to-stand: test your leg strength and stability by rising from a chair on one leg.

(Impossible, can't keep the left leg raised when trying the right leg. And the left leg doesn't have enough power and control to do this.)

Sit on a chair that’s slightly higher than knee height. Place one foot on the floor, keep the other raised, place your hands on your hips, brace your core and go from sitting to standing. Do as many quality (non-shaky!) repetitions as you can before changing legs. Ten to 14 reps in 30 seconds is a good score.

5. Standing medicine ball throw

Standing medicine ball throw to build explosive upper-body power

(Absolutely impossible, my fucking failures of doctors and therapists never cured my spasticity so I could flatten my left hand)

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a 2kg medicine ball at your chest with your hands on each side of the ball. (Goal Attack vibes.) Throw the ball away from you, as far as you can, and have a partner mark its landing point. Normal power for women over 50 would be a distance of 3.5-4.5m. For men aged 50 and over, throwing a 3kg ball 6-9m indicates good athletic power. “The weight of the ball is important for the test protocol,” says Roberts. “However, regularly throwing a ball as far as you can in a chest throw position is good training.”

Recommended

I'm 76 and stronger than ever. This is how I turned my life around

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This Is What Happened When People Ran At A Surprisingly Easy Pace by mindbodygreen

 Did your incompetent? doctor have ANYTHING  that would get you running again? I'd need my spasticity cured! I bet your doctor didn't even ask you if you wanted to run again, THAT IS HOW FUCKING INCOMPETENT S/HE IS!

Maybe something from this book?

Tommye-K. Mayer book; 'Teaching Me to Run'.

Do you prefer your doctor, hospital and board of director's incompetence NOT KNOWING? OR NOT DOING? Your choice; let them be incompetent or demand action!

This Is What Happened When People Ran At A Surprisingly Easy Pace

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

 Since my doctor and therapists COMPLETELY FUCKING FAILED at getting me running, I'll stick to walking.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

Workers in their 80s and 90s share 5 tips for staying healthy and active

©Courtesy of Patricia Casey/Marilyn Gettinger/Eileen Hartigan

• Older Americans said that mental stimulation and purpose are keys to healthy aging.
• Most workers over 80 I spoke to value routines, social connections, and staying active.
• Researchers and workers agreed that optimism and engagement support longevity and well-being.

After studying stem cell aging for decades, Dr. Thomas Rando learned that some of the best longevity advice is timeless.

"I often make the joke that the billions of dollars that have been spent on studying healthy aging could come down to the two things your mother told you," Rando, the president of the American Federation for Aging Research and director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA, told Business Insider.

"Eat a good diet and get plenty of exercise."

Rando dedicated his career to studying how tissues repair themselves — and why they eventually lose the ability to do it well. What he learned is that many of the drugs tested in animals that are meant to extend lifespan work as effectively as a balanced diet and exercise do. One example was a 2022 study that found mice that were put on fasting diets were as resilient to stress as those injected with ketone bodies.

He said that many drugs and interventions are "just in a way supplementing the challenges that humans face in dieting and exercising."

that lifestyle habits such as eating whole foods and taking care of his body are the keys to longevity. "From my own studies, if you are eating well, sleeping well, and exercising, it's unlikely that supplements are going to make a difference," he said.

Rando shared the three longevity habits he's stuck to for years, from avid running to lots of socializing.

By his 30s, Rando realized his work schedule made it hard to exercise: organizing basketball or squash games just took too much time. So, he started running solo a few miles a day, a few times a week.

After a colleague convinced him to run a 5K, he fell in love with racing. He worked his way up to a 10K, half-marathon, and eventually, a marathon. He's been a marathon runner for the last few decades.

"Not that people should do marathons, but I really believe in the rejuvenating powers of exercise," Rando said. While he's still researching all the ways that working out benefits longevity, he said there's lots of evidence to support that regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

Rando, who's currently dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, said he's running a little less often and focusing a little more on strength training, which is also important for healthy aging as muscle mass declines over time.

Beyond the anti-aging benefits, he said he loves how running makes him feel. "I think clearly, I think I solve problems when I run," he said. "So that was an added icing on the cake."

He fasts one day a week

I usually do one meal a day, around 5pm. No point in the Mediterranean diet, there is nothing specific in it, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly. 

Rando generally follows the Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world. He eats lean protein, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on red meat, carbohydrates, and processed foods.

"I love a steak dinner, and I'll splurge on that," Rando said. "But my typical dinners are either purely vegetarian or with some light meat or some fish."

For decades, he's practiced a form of intermittent fasting where he doesn't eat breakfast. He usually has a light lunch of edamame and hard-boiled eggs, and eats his biggest meal at dinner. Some studies find that intermittent fasting can help control blood sugar levels and burn fat, while others show mixed evidence that intermittent fasting has sustained benefits.

Over the past few years, Rando also fasts for 24 hours once a week, another form of time-restricted eating. Because dinner is his biggest meal, he usually starts fasting until dinner the next day, rather than starting the fast in the morning.

Still, he isn't super strict about fasting. "My lifestyle is just not conducive to fasting multiple days in a row, partly because of the exercise, partly because I'm going to dinners and lunches with people," he said. "But I do believe in fasting as a means toward healthy aging."

Because intermittent fasting is still being studied, including any potential long-term risks, Rando considers it "a leap of faith."

"I believe from the science that this will have a long-term benefit," he said. But it's not because he feels the same immediate effects as he does from exercising. "I just feel hungry."

Socializing at work

My social connections are extensive.

As president of AFAR, Rando naturally interacts with a lot of people. "Through my work, I lead a very social life," he said, including collaborating with other researchers, sitting on various committees, and attending events. He said he also makes it a point to socialize outside work.

While he said it's harder to quantify the impact of social ties on longevity, there's a lot of compelling anecdotal evidence in favor of it. Some of it comes from Rando's own research: Dr. Ira Eliasoph, a 96-year-old AFAR study participant, said strong relationships helped him live a long life.

"I believe in the evidence that social interactions are really important as people get older," Rando said.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

Perfect world of stroke rehab - running again

I know most of you don't think this is possible, but for those who want to try, you can see some successes here.  This is obviously something our therapists need to set up a protocol for.  I doubt I'll ever be able to run again until my spasticity is cured, and my left foot actually points straight ahead. 

If your doctor doesn't ask you about running again, they have accepted they know nothing and will do nothing to get you recovered

ACTUALLY Running Free! Yeah, She Did it!

Advocate Condell Stroke Survivor Set to Run Chicago Marathon

Stroke survivor clocks 1000 kilometres 
Have your therapist lay out a step by step process(That's called a protocol, not a guideline!) for you to accomplish this if you want to. Challenge them to use their neurons in a new and exciting way.

I bet there is zero chance your doctor and therapists have any protocol to get you running again. But if you are willing to try this dangerous activity on your own, I'd suggest the book; 'Teaching Me to Run' by Tommye-K. Mayer. Don't do this without your doctor's prescription. 

 
A year after a stroke, Mundelein man calls marathon ‘the ultimate test of my recovery’
Stroke survivor recovers to run the NYC Marathon

Reverse Heart Aging with This 2-Year Workout Plan Backed by Science by Super Age

 Impossible for me, my doctor COMPLETELY FAILED AT GETTING ME RECOVERED ENOUGH TO RUN!

Reverse Heart Aging with This 2-Year Workout Plan Backed by Science

This proven cardio plan can lower your heart age by 20 years, increase VO2 max.

A measurement of how much oxygen your body can use during exercise

and protect against cardiovascular decline starting in midlife.

In a paper published last week in JAMA Cardiology, scientists used a calculator to analyze the “risk age” of 14,140 American men and women between the ages of 30 and 79. The calculator (which you can see here) uses age, gender, cholesterol numbers, blood pressure, and a few other questions to determine the individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease, and assign a heart age.

The results of their analysis: More than half of their 14,000 participants had a cardiovascular age that was further along than their real age. Women who were studied, for example, were an average of 51.3 years old; but their average “risk age” was 55.4 years. For men, the gap between their real age and their cardiovascular age was worse—their hearts were an average of 7 years old than their birth certificates would suggest.

If you’re worried about the age of your heart, take heart: There’s tons of time left for middle-aged adults to turn back the clock. According to a 2018 study from Circulation, you could turn your heart’s age back 20 years in just two years with the right exercise plan. When scientists in Texas had 61 sedentary adults aged 45-64 participate in a specific cardio exercise plan, the exercisers’ VO2 Max, a gold-standard measure of fitness and key predictor of [lon-jev-i-tee]nounLiving a long life; influenced by genetics, environment, and lifestyle.Learn More, improved by 18 percent. Maybe more important, the stiffness of their hearts’ left ventricles reduced. That’s a big deal for living longer, because a stiff left ventricle is one of the causes of heart failure.

The short version: Do this exercise plan for two years using the cardio methods of your choice, and you could improve your heart’s age by two decades. Here’s how it’s done.

First, you’ll need to know your heart rate in four different training zones:

1. Maximal steady state (MSS): If you’ve heard of Zone 2 training, this is basically the top of that range, the maximum heart rate and pace at which your body primarily burns fat for fuel, and your body can clear the lactate in produces. To determine this pace, try a talk test—the details for how to do it can be found in this article, under “how to do Zone 2.”

2. Base pace: This pace is a teensy bit easier than MSS (1-20 heart beats per minute below your threshold). 

3. Interval pace: This pace should be at 95 percent of your peak heart rate. You may have heard that your max HR is 220 minus your age, but studies have found that’s not very accurate. According to a 2001 study, a more accurate equation for healthy adults starts by multiplying your age by 0.7. Then subtract that number from 208. That’s your max heart rate. For these intervals, target 95 percent of that.

Here’s how that works if you’re 55:

• Step 1: 55 * 0.7 is 38.5 (39)
• Step 2: 208-39 = 169
• Step 3: 169 * 0.95 = 160.55 (161)

4. Recovery: This pace should just be easier than your base pace.

Using these four paces, you’ll progress your workouts throughout the months.

One Year Training Program for A Younger Heart

Here’s a rough schedule based on what was done in the study:

• Month 1: Each week, perform three sessions of 30 minutes per week at base pace.

• Month 2: Continue the three sessions of 30 minutes at base each week. During the month, add in two sessions of 30 minutes each at your MSS.

• Month 3: In month three, you’ll add another MSS session, and start doing weekly interval training. For the intervals, you’ll do a 4×4 protocol.
  • Step 1: Warm up for 5-10 minutes.
  • Step 2: Perform 4 minutes of exercise at your “interval pace” heart rate you calculated above.
  • Step 3: Perform 3 minutes of exercise in your base pace range.
  • Repeat steps 2 and 3 for four total rounds.

The day after you do these intervals, do a 20-30 minute session of easy walking or light aerobic activity at your “recovery” pace.

• Month 4-5: Continue progressing the workouts from month 3. Add a second interval training session each week, or every other week, if you’re feeling comfortable and recovered.

• Month 6-10: Perform two interval sessions per week, with 20-30 minute recovery days after each. In addition, do one session of one hour at your base pace, and one 30-minute base pace session.

• Months 11 and beyond: This is the “maintenance phase.” During this period, study participants dialed back the interval training to one session per week. They continued doing the continuous, base pace training (one hour and one 30-minute session), and added in two strength sessions per week.

That’s it! One thing to note: The participants in this study were sedentary, meaning they weren’t exercising already. But even if you’re already a regular exerciser, you can benefit from building your aerobic base with base pace work. Check out this “Ideal Longevity Workout” for more information on building your aerobic base and VO2 Max.

Pvt clinic launches advanced ExoSkeletal Neuro device that provides faster recovery for Fully and Partially Paralysed patients

How many hours of use will it take to get 100% recovery of walking and running?

 Pvt clinic launches advanced ExoSkeletal Neuro device that provides faster recovery for Fully and Partially Paralysed patients 

CHENNAI: JK Physio and Rehab Clinic has announce the launch of the ground-breaking Advanced Exoskeletal Neuro Device, revolutionising neurorehabilitation in India. This nerve stimulation device enables full spinal and muscle movement, providing a faster recovery
for both fully and partially paralysed patients. The device was launched by Chief Guest Ravindranath Singh, Deputy Director, Welfare of the Differently Abled, Govt of Tamil Nadu and Special Guests, Manivanan, General Manager, DIC, Thanjavur and Dr. Lakshmi Narayana, Ortho surgeon in the presence of Dr. Jagadeesan, Ortho Physiotherapist (PhD), Chairman of JK Physio & Rehab Clinic and Dr. J. Kalpana, Neuro Physiotherapist (PhD), Managing Director of JK Physio & Rehab Clinic.

First-of-its-kind technology introduced in Asia The launch of the Advanced Exoskeletal Neuro Device at JK Physio & Rehab Clinic is considered a breakthrough in neurophysiological medical technology in Asia. It offers a new hope for patients to regain the ability to engage in basic movement activities and advanced outside activities including walking, squatting, staircase climbing and walking in treadmill(But what about running? Don't you think survivors want to run again?). Robotic technology in Neuro Rehabilitation This Advanced Exo Skeletal Neuro Device improves the walking mobility of patients by applying motorised assistance to attain required movement irrespective of joint, who do not have muscular power using a lightweight wearable robot. It provides safety and stability to the patients wearing it across their body.

Based on the patient’s movement dysfunctions at different levels caused by stroke, spinal cord injury and ageing, this wearable Autonomous Exoskeletal robotic device provides active assistance to patients according to their neuro-mobility health history. A complete regular procedure of body exercise training with the device is essential with detailed treatment plans formulated by experienced rehabilitation doctors. In cases of Stroke, it improves coordination in gait and develops respective muscle power in the paralysed limbs. Most strokes are one-sided paralysis, so it will develop the efficiency of the muscle to get orientation and relevant movement, which develops the symmetrical movements. For Spinal cord injuries patients may have zero muscle power, which will develop neuro plasticity and provide movement. First time in South India, ElectroMyography (EMG) device The ElectroMyography (EMG) device reads electrical impulses to assess nerve conduction in various muscles, aiding in reporting, diagnosis, and treatment. Once the nerve conduction report is obtained, the device targets specific muscles, with different arms catering to different body parts such as the hip, ankle, arms, wrist, shoulder, knee, and elbow. Graphical results guide the treatment process, facilitating movement and muscle strengthening. Through EMG-assisted virtual rehabilitation, electrodes are placed on the required muscles to train coordination and stimulate muscle activity, helping patients improve muscle function and mobility efficiently These devices are considered as one of the most promising potential technical robotic devices to deal with the problems of disabled care, elderly assistance and rehabilitation.

 

2 strokes in a month at 27 left her partially paralyzed. Now 31, she runs and hikes.

 Ask your doctor why you didn't get 100% recovered like she did! Don't be polite about it, screaming may be required, and the competence of your doctor should be in question! In my stroke survivor opinion, all stroke doctors should have EXACT 100% RECOVERY PROTOCOLS! They've known since medical school that stroke rehab was a compete fucking failure and should have initiated research that solved that problem. At least leaders would do that.  Isn't your doctor a leader? 

The only other stroke survivors that I know got back to running are these:

Tommye-K. Mayer book; 'Teaching Me to Run'.

Ta’Mara Aarin couldn’t sit up after a stroke, but readies for LA 2024 marathon  July 2023

 

The latest here:

2 strokes in a month at 27 left her partially paralyzed. Now 31, she runs and hikes.

By Deborah Lynn Blumberg, American Heart Association News

Molly Fitzgerald was 27 when she had a stroke. A month later, she had another one that partially paralyzed her. Now 31, she runs and hikes. (Photo courtesy of Molly Fitzgerald)

Molly Fitzgerald woke up one fall morning with intense pain in her neck. It was so bad she thought about going to the emergency room. But Molly eventually pegged the pain to work stress. Maybe the migraines she'd had lately were also to blame, she thought.

She took pain medicine and used a heating pad, trying to ride things out. A week later, the pain was still there, so she went to an urgent care facility near her Minneapolis home. After doing an electrocardiogram, or EKG, to look at her heart's electrical activity, the doctor said nothing was wrong.

"But I don't feel right," Molly said.

Worried she was being dramatic, Molly went home with a muscle relaxant.

She woke up one day soon after feeling dizzy. She stood up from bed and almost fainted. In the bathroom, her body kept leaning to the right. She kept vomiting.

The word "stroke" popped into her head. She dismissed it. She was only 27. Strokes were for older people, she thought, and her face and speech were fine.

It was probably a reaction from the muscle relaxant, she thought. She collapsed on the couch to rest and called her mother, Karen Fitzgerald.

"Go to the hospital," Karen said.

In the ER, Molly waited for hours. She got an anti-nausea medication. It could be the flu, a doctor said, or maybe vertigo, a spinning sensation that can be linked to issues with the inner ear. Ultimately, he proposed a treatment that could help stop the spinning.

Molly had another idea. "Let's do some scans first," she said.

She had an MRI and CT scan to look at her brain activity. Soon after, the doctor came into her room.

"So," he said, "you had a little stroke."

She'd had a cerebellar stroke, one that happens when blood is restricted to the part of the brain that controls body and eye movement and balance. The cause was vertebral artery dissection, when the wall of an artery in the back of the neck tears and blood supply to the brain is blocked. It wasn't clear why it happened. The doctor prescribed medicine to prevent blood clots from forming.

"Hopefully this will never happen again," the doctor said.

Molly walked out of the hospital a few days later.

Over the next few weeks, she had dizzy spells and headaches. Once, she felt a cold sweat on one side of her body. She went to the ER.

"You're probably just healing," another ER doctor said.

A month after her stroke, Molly was a few days from returning to her marketing job at a local dairy company. She had brunch with a friend, caught up with her parents in Chicago and went to take a nap.

Suddenly, on the way to bed she felt an intense pain in her head. Her jaw locked up. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her mouth wasn't drooping. But Molly was nervous. What if it was another stroke? She called a friend who lived five minutes away to come over.

Molly put on her shoes and fed her cat, Gigi. Bending over, she got a huge headrush, then her ears started ringing. Her vision was distorted; everything looked tinted green.

"Oh no, it's another stroke," she told herself. Molly grabbed her phone to call 911. But she kept opening the calculator app.

Finally, she dialed.

"I think I'm having a stroke," she told the operator.

"How do you know?" the operator said.

"Because I've already had one," said Molly.

EMTs and Molly's friend arrived at the same time. Molly couldn't talk. Her left side was paralyzed. Paramedics asked if it was possible Molly had taken any drugs.

"She doesn't even drink coffee right now," her friend said.

In the ambulance, Molly threw up while on her back, causing her to feel like she was suffocating.

"Stay with us," the EMT said as Molly's eyes fluttered closed. "Stay awake."

When her parents, Donald and Karen, arrived at the hospital, Molly was in bed, shaking. The left side of her face drooped. For days, she couldn't walk.

An avid runner, she feared she'd never run again. When she started therapy, she felt dizzy and sick her first time using a walker. It didn't last long. She was disappointed.

"Why are you being so hard on yourself?" Donald asked.

"I thought I'd be a great student," Molly said.

Molly Fitzgerald and her mom, Karen, watching a movie in Molly's inpatient rehab room. (Photo courtesy of Molly Fitzgerald)

Soon, though, she started seeing progress. Ten days later, she was walking again. Then she went to stay with her parents in Chicago at her childhood home.

It was Thanksgiving and she relished being with her sisters, one older, one younger. To support Molly's recovery, Donald set up an agility course in the basement with a reclining bike, a soccer ball and an air hockey table.

"We always talk about grit," he said. "Molly's got grit and she just keeps pushing."

Molly also did occupational therapy and physical therapy to get her strength back. Months later, in the fall of 2020, when COVID-19 canceled all marathons, Donald created his own 26.2-mile run in the Chicago suburbs as a fundraiser for stroke research in Molly's honor.

Donald and his brother-in-law, Jim Haack, wore red T-shirts that said, "Miles with a Purpose." They raised nearly $7,000 for the American Heart Association. Molly ran the last mile with her dad and uncle.

Molly Fitzgerald (center) ran the final mile of the race her dad organized, Miles with a Purpose. She crossed the finish line with her dad, Don (left) and uncle, Jim Haack. (Photo courtesy of Molly Fitzgerald)

The following summer, Molly had recovered enough to fulfill a longtime dream. She moved to San Francisco.

Now, five years after her strokes, Molly is 31. When she's not working doing brand marketing for a California coffee manufacturer, she enjoys running and hiking in various parts of California. The only off-limits activities are things that could tear her artery again, such as water skiing and riding a roller coaster.

She still has frequent periods of fatigue, especially after intense physical activity or busy workdays, and gets migraines every few months. "Fatigue from brain damage isn't something you can muscle through," she said.

Also an avid knitter, Molly got a tattoo of a knitting swatch with several knitting errors in it. The image sends two messages: her challenges and her triumphs.

"You do have certain deficits that you carry as scars," she said. "But you learn to manage them, and today I'm pretty good compared to where I was. I feel very lucky."

Molly Fitzgerald's knitting tattoo that symbolizes her stroke recovery journey. (Photo courtesy of Molly Fitzgerald)

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.

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American Heart Association News covers heart disease, stroke and related health issues. Not all views expressed in American Heart Association News stories reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Statements, conclusions, accuracy and reliability of studies published in American Heart Association scientific journals or presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the American Heart Association’s official guidance, policies or positions.

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Electronic device helps paralyzed stroke victim walk again

What EXACT PROTOCOL does your doctor have for getting you running again(Not just walking)?

Electronic device helps paralyzed stroke victim walk again

ACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A Raymond man who suffered a stroke was unable to walk until he was introduced to life-changing technology.

The avid runner regained some movement through rehab, but his quality of life was not the same. His future was uncertain until he said he found the electronic device that gave him back what he had lost.

“All anybody ever really wants is what you had before this happened,” said Darryl Blakely.

He is now walking after suffering a stroke last April that left him paralyzed. He felt a pain in his hip and suddenly lost function on his right side.

“And the day before, if you would have told me to run four miles, I would have said let’s go,” said Blakely. “And then the day this happened I couldn’t even make two steps.”

Two months ago, that changed when his Methodist Rehabilitation therapist suggested the Bioness L300 Go, which uses functional electrical stimulation. He wears it on his right leg.

“In a month, I could get around two or three steps, and since then, I’ve made a dramatic improvement,” said the recovering stroke victim. “Two weeks ago, I walked four miles. It took two hours, but you know, because I like to walk and run, I did it.”

The 55-year-old still undergoes therapy for his right arm, but with the electronic stimulation, he has resumed managing apartments and much of his daily work activity.

“This thing senses that you want to move, and it sends a signal to the muscle and stimulates it and makes your foot pick up.”

The husband, father, and grandfather admit the device is expensive, costing about $10,000, and was purchased through help from vocational rehab.

“I’m just thankful for people who spend the time to think of things to help people get their life back together,” added Blakely.

The device was developed in 2017. According to Bioness Rehab, the L300 Go is the world’s first Functional Electronic Stimulation that integrates proprietary 3D motion detection.

It detects gait events, providing stimulation precisely when needed making it easier to clear their foot at varying walking speeds, on stairs, ramps, and while navigating uneven territory. The L300 Go can help people with certain medical conditions walk more confidently.

Video at link.

Bowel movement frequency, gut microbiome linked to cognitive function

 

You already lost 5 years because of your stroke. Ask your doctor how you are going to make up those lost years. The best way to prevent constipation is for your doctor to get you 100% recovered so you can walk or run enough.

With this problem is your doctor solving constipation the right way?

The incidence of constipation for stroke was 48%. 

 

Laxative use may be linked to dementia risk, study says

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The latest here:

Bowel movement frequency, gut microbiome linked to cognitive function

Key takeaways:

• Study assessed more than 112,000 individuals.
• Constipated participants had significantly worse cognition, equal to 3 years of aging, compared with those with once-daily bowel movements.

Chronic constipation was associated with worse cognitive function, equal to 3 years of additional aging, according to research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

“Interventions for preventing constipation and improving gut health include adopting healthy diets enriched with foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, taking fiber supplementation, drinking plenty of water every day and having regular physical activity,” senior study investigator Dong Wang, MD, ScD, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a related release.

According to research from Harvard and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, frequency of bowel movements and relative health of the gut microbiome are linked to cognitive function. Image: Adobe Stock

Wang, along with presenter Chaoran Ma, MD, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition at University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health & Health Sciences, and colleagues sought to examine associations between frequency of bowel movements, the gut microbiome, cognitive function and dementia risk.

They assessed 112,753 adults from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) and also evaluated the role of the gut microbiome in a sub-cohort of 515 NHSII and HPFS participants.

Researchers collected data on bowel movement frequency in 2012 and 2013 and subjective cognitive function from 2014 to 2017 in all participants. They also determined objective cognitive function via neuropsychological testing from 2014 to 2018 in 12,696 NHSII participants.

According to results, participants with bowel movement frequency of every 3 days or less experienced significantly worse cognition, equivalent to 3 years (95% CI, 1.2-4.7) of cognitive aging, compared with those who had once-daily bowel movements.

Researchers also reported that both constipation and bowel movement frequencies of at least two times per day were associated with subjective cognitive decline (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.6-1.86 and OR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.33-1.44, respectively) compared with once-daily bowel movements.

Further, data showed that bowel movement frequency and subjective cognition were significantly associated with overall variation of the gut microbiome. Specifically, butyrate producers were diminished in participants with less frequent bowel movements and poorer cognitive function, while an increase in proinflammatory species was linked with more frequent bowel movement frequency ( 2/day) and worse cognition.

“These results stress the importance of clinicians discussing gut health, especially constipation, with their older patients,” Wang said in the release.

Reference:

• Constipation associated with worse cognition, more cognitive aging. https://aaic.alz.org/releases_2023/constipation-gut-health-alzheimers-dementia-risk.asp. Published July 19, 2023. Accessed July 19, 2023.