National Stroke Awareness Month!
Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope your week has been a wonderful week so far. May is National Stroke Awareness Month and I wanted to share a little bit about it with you. Health and wellness is a huge passion of mine and I’m thankful for amazing resources that teach us about these health issues.
You may be asking yourself why this would even pertain to you. Strokes can happen to anyone, anywhere. My amazing friend Kelly from A Size Strong (formerly Empowered Strides) suffered a spontaneous stroke. She worked very hard to come back from that and her story is truly an inspiration!
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die.
American Stroke Association
There are different types of strokes but knowing and understand your risk factors for strokes is important. Prioritizing health and fitness can help reduce your risk factor. Diet and exercise is a major part to reducing the chance of a stroke or heart disease. It’s all connected so you have to take care of your body as whole.
Ideally eating well and moving your body are the first steps you would take. Removing tobacco products and reducing stress are another major part. Obviously, we live busy lives so it may be hard to completely remove stress or eat super duper healthy. However, small changes do add up.
Understanding that this disease can affect anyone is crucial. Knowing your risk but also being aware of symptoms can help in the future. You never know when you’ll need to act fast to help a person in need.
I’m very thankful for Stroke Awareness Month and friends like Kelly who share their story! She has encouraged me to know my blood pressure numbers and stay on top of my health so I can reduce my risk of stroke or heart disease. She’s a big inspiration and loves to educate others on everything health and wellness. Check out her Instagram where she’ll be continuing to share tips throughout Stroke Awareness Month!
Head over to the American Stroke Association website for more information about strokes and risk factors.
