Im interested in hearing from others who are longer term survivors.
I am nearly 8 years post stroke. While I have not made anything like a full recovery I have over the years been able to do a fair bit. Currently
I still have no function in my left hand. I have however been fortunate enough to get a new physiotherapy referral and in the assessment have discovered that while I have some minimal ability to walk I have over the years developed some balance problems
This, along with considerable deconditioning of various muscle s
Has affected my confidence in walking to such an extent that I am no longer able to go out without accompaniment. The new physio regime is aiming to help with the balance and confidence issues and I hope to make some progress in the coming year. If anyone has a comparable experience do share how you got on. The physio will help with my left hand spasticity also. Overall I am feeling a bit more encouraged that I can correct some of the things that seem to have gone backwards over the years.
Heres hoping
Tony
Hi Tony,
I donāt have an experience to share but wanted to wish you good luck. Iām sure it will help you get some of your confidence back; although no doubt it will be hard work at times.
Would love to hear how you get on.
Many thanks for the encouraging reply
Iād like to suggest for your confidence with walking that you start by walking a short distance, maybe from the front door to the garden gate (and back). And concentrate on becoming more confident in that space before venturing further.
If thatās too much just now then choose somewhere indoors. Balance problems can be fixed. Even in sitting you can work on your balance by not resting against the back of your chair (as youāre using your core to keep you upright). And reaching in sitting works your balance too, as well as reaching in standing.
Thanks for your kind reply
I anticipate it will be a year or so before I See any real results
Tony
@Anthony.Nickson You have some good advice here from our dear members. I donāt know your full situation, but I can tell you what helped me. I was at āKesslerā, the best physical therapy facility in New Jersey USA. for many months.
Did your Physio mention the all-important āStrengthā?
Stand more than you sit, even if you have to hold onto something. Weightbearing is essential. I have my desktop computer at a standing table. When I get tired, I just move the monitor and keyboard/mouse to a sitdown table. (even easier with laptop)
Sit-to stand squats from a chair build quad strength. If you are too weak, use a chair with arms to help push. Or have someone help you do the best you canā¦3 sets of 10 reps.
Hopefully you have access to weight machines that build leg strength like the leg press machine?
Then there is walking itselfā¦the functional exercise, as far and as often as you can.
I wish you the best and hope you can build some strength in those legs. Build a good foundation.
Derek
By the Way: @SimonInEdinburgh Simon, what a storyā¦bravo!
Wanted to at least say hello to you. I donāt know if anything I have to say here will be particularly helpful to you but I will try anyway. It has only been 2 years, 3 months since my strokes, but even in that short time, I have had to unlearn some of the adaptive behaviors I was either taught or picked up along the wayādoing things only with my right side; looking at the floor when with company or during walking (to try to ignore movement around me); not standing up straight when using a walker or cane; not turning my head in trying to focus on something; and looking up to watch tv or talk with someone as I see better looking up than down, straight on, or to a side.
They made sense which is why my brain went the easier route in using them, but none of them are helpful in getting back to driving, using both arms and hands, gaining strength or walking with any confidence. It is still a struggle many times, but it gets easier over time so I know it is working.
Best wishes and Merry Christmas!
Iām sorry that you feel youāre going backwards, and hope that the physio sorts you out. I would like to keep up with how youāre getting on as my husband is going through similar, but he is only 4 months post stroke. The problem is in our area it takes several months to be seen by the community teams for care, physio, continence and anything other support he needs and I havenāt got the knowledge or ability to help him with.
Keep soldiering on, and everyone will be behind you, willing you forward.
Thanks for taking the time to respond
Have a lovely Christmas and best wishes for the new year
Cheers
Have a great Christmas and best wishes for the new year
T
Cheers
Thanks for the reply, nice to hear from you
Have a great Christmas and best wishes for the new year
T
Merry Christmas to you, Tony, with good wishes for a happy and fulfilling New Year
Thanks for covering this subject from the point of view of someone dealing with the effects of stroke a while after the event.
Having a stroke plunges one into a darkness from which it is extremely difficult to get any perspective. Any light on the subject is extremely valuable.
There is plenty of second and third hand experience, lots of professional output, but most of it doesnāt āget itā. Actual hands on, been there, done that, information is not so freely available.
It is easy to talk about and discuss the predicament of others but not so many are keen to outline their personal journey and how they have, for good or ill, been dealing with things.
You can keep your medical and professional authoritative scribings. Just give me a few words from someone who has been there.
keep on keepinā on
I am so pleased for you Tony, that youāve finally found a physio who can recognise that āwhere thereās life, thereās hopeā. And in this instance Iām talking about life in the limbs. If thereās some sort of movement then itās not dead. Therefore there is always hope of recovering some functionality. I find thereās nothing worse than telling a person what they canāt or wonāt be able to do from now on, doctors, physios, anybody. Negativity can be detrimental to a personās recovery, how much they recover. It can even hold them back from what they should actually be able to recover.
One sure exercise tip that requires no equipment and can be done any time, any place, anywhere, is:
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Flexing your backā¦clenching and relaxing the back muscles. Doing that will automatically start you flexing your abdominals, pulling them in.
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Getting your hips under youā¦tip/tilt them forward slightly when standing. That will reduce the amount of stoop you haveā¦which is what throws you off balance. So always get your hips under you when you come to standing before you move off.
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When sitting, sit upright for a while, with you back slightly arched, so your hips are thrust slightly forward. Hold for a time then relax and repeatā¦as many times as you like or can.
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Clenching and relaxing the buttocks muscles. They can be done while your sitting watching tv, waiting for the kettle to boil, every time you go to the loo
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They will all also start you flexing/clenching your hip muscles all aroundā¦front/back/sides.
Those 4 can be constant activities done throughout the day.
None of this āxā number of reps and sets and you are done for the day, I talking perpetual motion Because the more you do them the stronger your back and hips will beā¦and the easier it starts to become after a couple weeks. Thatās exercising and strengthening your back and hips for in readiness for walking with confidence.
Balancing tips
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Just standing still!
Straightening up you body. Getting your back upright. With your eyes openā¦with your eyes closed, turning your head side to side. -
Put a cushion on the floor and start stepping on and off it. You can use a walking stick/broom/whatever is at hand to steady yourself if need be. Thatās another one that can be done often throughout the day while youāre homeā¦even whilst watch tv.
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Stand on one leg! To begin with, just lift the heel of the opposite leg off the floorā¦you can even rest it against the ankle of the standing foot.
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Graduate to the toe tip just touching the floor. Then to resting the foot on top of the standing foot.
This is also a balancing act that can be done any time, any place, anywhere.
A progress test would be to walk around the house, carrying a cup of water filled to the brim, without spilling it. You keep looking straight ahead and donāt watch the cup whilst walking.
And hereās another way of doing itā¦or for progress to:
All the above can be done throughout the day wherever you are and whatever youāre doing. Make it a habitā¦thereās really no excuse not to! They waken up the core muscles and start getting them active again.
Just improving your balance will improve your confidence in walking.
Because, when you think about, you are always balancing on one foot or the other when walking. One foot is always coming off the ground as the other is landing. Get the balance right and the rest will follow 
I do hope you will keep us posted on your progress, I always love hearing about peoples progresses on here 
Yes quads are the obvious muscles that work, but my physio has concentrated on activating my Gluteus Medius while standing. Without it activating, the quads end up doing all the work, and your stability will suffer. My physio says that she knows someone who has stopped using her gluteus-med, and fell over because she was unstable (ā¦and she hasnāt even had a stroke). This is more likely to happen to women rather than men. Sit-to-stand can be done badly, or with better qualityā¦ a physio helps to ensure you are doing it well
@pando Good to know Roland, thanks.
Thanks very much for all the exercise tips and hints, they seem really useful. I am approaching a year post stroke and have been feeling a bit low about my lack of mobility I had really hoped to be in a better place standing and moving wise on my stroke anniversary thanks for your post Cazza
Youāre very welcome @Cazza3 and welcome to the forum 
There is a lot of useful advice on here for exercises to get you more mobile. Its just a case of using the using the magnifying glass 
above to search for them.
And if you click the hamburger symbol :
ā¦then click on Videos. This takes you to the Stroke Associationās youtube channel where they have Stroke recovery exercises among others which might be of help.
@Cazza3 just popping by to say hi & welcome to the forum. Recovery does take a long time so donāt be too hard on yourself.
Others have already provided useful links and I hope you find something suitable amongst them. Best wishes
Ann