Last Friday morning I received a call from my mother. I said "How are you?'' She said "I've been better. Don't get alarmed but I'm in the hospital. I've had a minor stroke." Now this is not the kind of Friday morning pick me up news you want to get, but she seeemed fairly lucid and in good spirits.
"They may release me today." Rather than get upset I took my cue from her tone. I listened patiently to her taking me through it. And then I called my sisters. My sister Lisa went to visit her in the hospital. When I called later she explained it was an Ischemic Stroke, but not one caused by a blood clot which the majority of them are.
They did end up releasing my mother and the only telltale signs when I saw her the next day was a pirate patch over the right eye and very infrequent slurring of words. By the end of the day she wasn't even slurring. So a rapid recovery was certainly underway.
As I dove into research for this stroke it turns out that blood flow to the brain gets interupted. As we age many people opt not to exercise and live a sedentary lifestyle. This is a big risk for all kinds of issues. While strenuous exercise will not work for people entering the later part of their lives, regiments like Chi Gung, Tai Chi and certain yoga will offer a more gentle style of exercise that circulates the blood and energy in the human body.
Chances are pretty good that without a blood clot, with better circulation and flow in the body, my mother may have been able to reduce her risk for that minor stroke or even a bigger one down the line. Breathing and gentle stretching, circulation and movements can be of immense help with agility, balance, energy levels and circulation. It also balances out blood pressure which is also a risk factor for stroke.
I showed my mother some basic breathing and movement techniques and maybe for the first time in her life she was open to doing them.
Don't wait for a wake up call. Get yourself prepared for a long live filled with excellent mobility and health. Pick out a regimen you can do now for the rest of your life to reduce your risk for a myriad of issues.
If you want more information on AEROFORM which is another great means contact me from the AEROFORM website.
Talk to your parents and elderly relatives and friends, do something for yourselves. You will appreciate yourself for it.
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