What Kind Of Sports Can Reduce The Risk Of Stroke?

Illustration of sports that help reduce stroke (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Stroke is one of the diseases that often appears suddenly and can change a person's life in an instant.

However, the risk of stroke can actually be reduced by a healthier lifestyle and some effective preventive measures, for example by exercising regularly.

Sports medicine specialist Caleb Leonardo Halim said that physical activity and regular physical exercise can indirectly reduce the risk of stroke.

He mentioned that light physical activity combined with physical exercise can help control blood sugar from developing to diabetes, as well as help improve blood pressure. All of this in the end can lead to an effort to reduce the risk of stroke in the future.

stroke is a disorder in the blood vessels. Blood vessel disorders are usually mostly due to other diseases that are obtained due to an unfavorable lifestyle, one of which is the lack of physical activity," Caleb said in an online discussion of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), as quoted by Antara.

He explained that physical activity and physical exercise have different meanings. Physical activity is in principle a simple effort to move the body by walking up and down stairs.

While physical exercise means not only marked by sweat discharge, but also carried out in measurable and periodically repeated programs.

"For example, up and down the stairs. If only occasionally, it means physical activity. But if you get used to going up and down the stairs every day, it can be a physical exercise. So there is progress," he said.

Caleb reminded the importance of moving the body for a moment if someone does their daily job by just sitting and staring at a computer or laptop screen.

He advised to rest from screen activity (sitting break) by standing and walking for at least once every one to two hours. That way, blood circulation is smooth and muscles are not stiff.

Even research says whatever the length is, it's better. There's even only 5-10 minutes to move and walk, for example looking for lunch outside, that's good. It's a bit late or late in the afternoon, walk again 5-10 minutes. Then go home from the office, walk 5-10 minutes. It's been 30 minutes in a day, "he said.

As for physical exercise, Caleb said there are formulas that need to be remembered and carried out by the community to achieve effective benefits, namely FITT which stands for Frequency (frequency), Intensity (intensity), Time (time or duration), and Type (physical exercise type). This formula applies to both cardio exercises and muscle exercises.

In cardio training, the recommended frequency is three to five times per week. For beginners, cardio exercises can start once per week and then continue to increase.

The intensity or difficulty level of physical exercise recommended for beginners starts from low to moderate (low to intermediate). According to Caleb, jogging casually accompanied by chatting is also enough for beginners.