Research
Mixed
Unilateral aerobic exercise training (exercising only the paretic leg) improves vascular function and blood flow in the hemiparetic limb of stroke survivors.
Exercising only your weaker leg can improve blood flow and vessel health in that specific leg. This might be a helpful addition to your routine, especially if you have significant weakness on one side.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
four weeks of unilateral leg training improved femoral artery blood flow and diameter
Why this rating
Based on a pilot study (N=14 experimental, N=20 control) showing significant vascular changes.
Source
Reduced Cardiorespiratory Fitness after Stroke: Biological Consequences and Exercise-Induced Adaptations
Sandra A. Billinger et al. · Stroke Research and Treatment · 2011
DOI 10.1155/2012/959120
narrative_reviewCited 188×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Stroke survivors retain the physiological capacity to adapt to aerobic exercise training, resulting in significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak) comparable to healthy sedentary adults.Good
- Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training can reverse impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes status in chronic stroke survivors.Moderate
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