Strength training for stroke survivors

When it comes to strength training I am an enthusiast.  More than that I aspire to be an evangelist.  I want people to understand and realise the benefits that come to everyone from basic strength training.  Yes, athletes benefit but so do non athletes, the office worker, the elderly and the sick.   Strength training can be simple but will benefit in so many ways - improved balance, fewer falls, better insulin sensitivity, better leptin sensitivity, better energy metabolism.  Yet all these benefits are a mystery to the average person.  Exercise is a brisk walk when some modified pushups and squats could do so much.

That was one of the ideas I am trying to get across in the Hillfit book - basic, simple strength training for hiking and backpacking.

This is another study that highlights the benefits of strength training for stroke survivors:

Maximal Strength Training Enhances Strength and Functional Performance in Chronic Stroke Survivors.

After training, leg press strength improved by 30.6 kg (75%) and 17.8 kg (86%); plantarflexion strength improved by 35.5 kg (89%) and 28.5 kg (223%) for the unaffected and affected limbs, respectively, significantly different from the control period (all P < 0.01). The 6-min walk test improved by 13.9 m (within training period; P = 0.01), and the Timed Up and Go test time improved by 0.6 secs (within training period; P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in walking economy, peak aerobic capacity, Four-Square Step Test, or health-related quality-of-life after training.

Maximal strength training improved muscle strength in the most affected as well as in the non affected leg and improved Timed-Up-And-Go time and 6-min walk distance but did not alter Four-Step Square Test time, aerobic status, or quality-of-life among chronic stroke survivors.

While this study did not look say quality of life improved, the Get up and Go test and the walk distance certainly indicate improvements in function. 

There is a similar study here (full pdf available)  High-Intensity Resistance Training Improves Muscle Strength, Self-Reported Function, and Disability in Long-Term Stroke Survivors

Walking, getting out of a chair, climbing stairs...these are skills for which we need strength as we get older and as we get injured.