HIIT for Stroke Recovery
Boost brain rewiring, improve movement, and speed recovery with short bursts of exercise.
If you’ve been on your stroke recovery journey for a while, you’ve probably heard the word neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is how your brain forms new connections so you can relearn skills like walking, talking, and using your hands again.
Important facts about neuroplasticity:
- It happens throughout your life, not just in the first 18 months after injury.
- Everyone with a neurological injury has the potential to improve.
- Progress isn’t just about repetition, the brain needs the right environment to rewire effectively.
What Happens in Your Brain During a Stroke?
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of your brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel in your brain bursts. This causes a sudden chaotic event inside your brain:
- Some brain cells (neurons) get damaged or die because they aren’t getting enough oxygen and nutrients.
- Other neurons around the damaged area go offline or stop working properly.
- The whole area becomes unstable and disorganized for a while.
This chaos actually primes your brain for neuroplasticity, meaning it becomes ready to rewire itself and make new connections to take over lost functions. That’s why getting into rehab as soon as possible is so important because it helps your brain take advantage of this window to start healing.
The Brain Chemicals That Make Neuroplasticity Possible
Three main “signaling molecules” help your brain form new connections:
- BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) – Supports neuron growth and survival.
- VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) – Promotes new blood vessel growth in the brain.
- Lactate – Acts as a backup fuel source for brain energy.
Why they matter:
- People with lower levels of these molecules have a higher risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
- After a stroke, these levels are often reduced.
- Raising them can improve brain rewiring and possibly lower the risk of another stroke.
So how do you increase these brain-boosting chemicals?
Why High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Could Be a Game-Changer
Researchers studied 8 groups of stroke patients who did High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). They found:
- HIIT raised important brain chemicals like BDNF, which helps the brain heal
- It also increased VEGF and lactate, which improve blood flow and give the brain energy
- HIIT worked better at raising these chemicals than moderate exercise
Why does this matter?
Surprisingly, just doing repetitive exercises or task-specific training doesn’t raise these chemicals enough. What research shows is that high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which means short bursts of really hard exercise followed by rest, can boost them a lot.
HIIT is different from just “moving more”. It pushes your body hard enough to release brain-boosting chemicals that help your brain recover and improve movement.
What Does This Mean For You?
If you’re recovering from a stroke and feeling stuck, adding some form of HIIT to your routine could be the missing piece that helps your brain rewire faster and more effectively.
Sample HIIT Workout for Stroke Recovery
A safe beginner plan (based on the research) is:
- Warm-up for a few minutes.
- Exercise hard (like fast walking or cycling) for 3-4 minutes at high effort. (RPE 15–19 out of 20)
- Recover by moving slowly for 2-3 minutes. (RPE 11–13)
- Repeat 4-6 cycles.
- Do this 3 times a week.
- 30 minutes total
Important: If you want to try HIIT, especially after a stroke, please talk to your healthcare provider first. You may need medical clearance and guidance to make sure it’s safe for you.
Wrapping Up
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s natural ability to heal, but it needs the right conditions to thrive. Doing daily exercises and meaningful tasks is crucial, but don’t forget about your brain chemistry.
High-intensity interval training is an exciting, research-backed way to boost the chemicals that help your brain build new connections, and it might be just what you need to break through that recovery plateau.
Remember, recovery is a journey, and every step forward counts. Stay curious, stay consistent, and don’t hesitate to explore new tools that might help.
Articles you may be interested in
Vaulting Gait After a Stroke
Vaulting is a walking abnormality where someone will rise up on their toe to ensure their “swinging” leg clears the ground. Under normal conditions, the swinging leg must “shorten” as it passes by the ground. To “shorten” the leg the knee must bend and the foot must...
Have you lost the ability to dissociate body movement?
One big problem after a stroke or brain injury is the inability to dissociate body movement. Movement dissociation is the ability for segments of the body to move independent of other segments. In other words, body parts (and their movement) want to "couple together"...
Frozen shoulder and its link to post stroke shoulder pain
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis is one of the most prevalent causes of post stroke shoulder pain. It is a condition that is characterized by shoulder joint stiffness and pain. Other neurologic injuries can also cause this condition. Such as multiple...
Hemineglect after a stroke: When half the world is missing
hemineglect is a condition where someone loses the ability to attend to, sense, and/or perceive information on one side. This condition is also referred to as unilateral neglect, spatial neglect, and/or hemispatial neglect. Several neurologic condition can cause this...
The Voice
Some call it intuition. Others might call it a “gut” feeling. And for those who believe in a higher power, “a direct message from God”. You know, that little voice that prompts you to take action. Yeah, that voice. In the past 20 years, I have had the pleasure of...
Post Stroke Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment
Pain is a common symptom after a stroke. Unfortunately, pain can be a significant barrier to regaining function. In some cases, there is an identifiable cause related to a movement or a structural problem. The rehab team can identify this, prescribe the...
Advanced Exercise: Walk without fear of falling
How do you regain the ability to walk without fear of falling? Fear of falling is a MAJOR concern for a lot of people. In the early stages of rehabilitation, the goal is to regain movement control at the hip, knee, and ankle. This is necessary to ensure that someone...
Tips for effective physical therapy at home after a stroke
An effective physical therapy program at home after a stroke is the most critical component for a successful recovery. I dare say MORE important than face to face time with your therapists. As someone who earns a living by treating patients (in person), this is a...
Blessings in disguise
Life isn’t always easy. I am probably not telling you anything you don’t already know. No one is exempt from challenges in life. Some go through more challenges than others. I have learned to be content with NOT (always) figuring out why. But I know that is not...
What Causes a Clenched Hand After a Stroke
A stroke can cause a wide range of problems in the arm. One of the major causes of disability after a stroke is a clenched hand. The most common cause for a clenched fist is spasticity. If left “unmanaged”, spasticity creates muscle shortening which will result in...
