A new study has found that people, who have suffered a stroke and have undergone the usual treatment, can benefit a lot by working out on treadmill as it improves brain function and fitness.

Dr. Andreas Luft, who is the study researcher and a professor of clinical neurology and neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, said, “You address two problems these patients have. One is that they don’t know how to walk. Not walking, they become reconditioned and lose cardiovascular fitness. With the treadmill type of training, you improve walking and also increase fitness.”

The study was carried in combined effort, as Luft worked in co-operation with the physicians at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. To draw a conclusion, they compared the brain and physical function 37 persons who had suffered a stroke and worked treadmill at least three times a week, to 34 persons who were recommended traditional stretching exercises.

The researchers found that after the period of six months, the people who used the tread mill had increased their peak walking velocity by 51%, whereas those who relied on stretching exercises had only been able to improve it by 11%. On the contrary, cardiovascular fitness for the treadmill users had improved by 18%, and on the other hand, had actually decreased by 3% for the other group. Further, an increase in blood flow was indicated by the magnetic resonance imaging, for those who worked on treadmill.

Dr. Daniel Hanley who is a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins informed, “Scientifically, the most important point appears to be that rewiring of the brain may be involved in this process, not just body conditioning. The most important clinical aspect of the study is that it is saying recovery can occur long after a stroke and can occur even after all the routine therapies have been tried.”

Hanley further said, “The average stroke patient now has about eight physical therapy sessions over six to 12 weeks.”

The study which was published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Stroke, conclude that treadmill work “should be part of standard treatment for every stroke survivor who has a walking habit.”