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Another Reason for Obese Individuals to Exercise

Another Reason for Obese Individuals to Exercise

Another Reason for Obese Individuals to Exercise

Exercise is crucial for everyone’s health and wellbeing, but it’s especially important for those seeking to lose weight and improve their health. This includes obese and overweight individuals striving for weight loss through diet and exercise, but also gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band incorporating exercise into their new post bariatric surgery lifestyle. Obese and overweight individuals may have a higher risk of stroke than those with a BMI in the normal range. But, some good news for those at risk for stroke is that exercise may help reduce the severity of a stroke.

Stoke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and is a major source of disability for adults. There are 2 main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Both types of stroke prevent oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells, leading to the death of brain cells. For those who survive a stroke, the disability that results is affected by the exact location of the stroke in the brain and the number of brain cells that die as a result. The resulting disability can affect walking, talking, eating, memory, and thinking.

New research out of a university in Sweden looked at over 900 people with an average age of 73 who had a stroke. Stroke symptoms were reviewed- based on facial and limb movements as well as language skills and level of consciousness- and 80% of these stroke sufferers were classified as “mild.” Different factors of study participants’ prestroke lifestyle were reviewed. Based on that, 52% of participants were classified as previously “inactive.” Light activity was defined as 4 hours of light activity per week such as walking; moderate activity was defined as 2-3 hours per week of more intense exercise such as running, swimming, or brisk walking.

Of the 59 people identified as being moderately active, 89% has a mild stroke. Of the 384 participants who were classified as having light activity prior to their stroke, 85% has a mild stroke. Out of the remaining 481 participants, who were classified as being inactive, 73% has a mild stroke.

While this study does not prove that greater activity levels result in milder strokes, the evidence does suggest that activity levels may have an impact. When you consider all of the other benefits of exercise- weight loss, reduced blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure, improved muscle tone, improved memory, and reduced stress- the possibility of milder symptoms of a stroke only adds to the host of possible benefits of exercise.

For obese and overweight individuals, including those who have had or will have weight loss surgery including gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or gastric band surgery, exercise can be crucial to good health. This is just another reason for individuals who suffer from obesity and overweight status to incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. For bariatric surgery patients, Dr. Shillingford encourages his patients to incorporate exercise into their post weight loss surgery lifestyle.

Dr. Shillingford, MD, PA performs gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, lap band, and revisional surgery for obese and overweight patients who have a BMI greater than 35 and who often have comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol. Exercise is usually a cornerstone of a post bariatric surgery lifestyle, and Dr. Shillingford encourages his patients to exercise after they have been cleared following their weight loss surgery. For people with obesity and those who are overweight with comorbidities who are seeking to lose weight with bariatric surgery, Dr. Shillingford offers free informational sessions to determine which surgery, if any, is right for them. To attend of Dr. Shillingford’s free sessions, contact is Boca Raton office at (561) 483-8840.