Challenge helps your brain get better. Challenge exists when you push yourself just beyond your current ability level. But not too much.
In order to get better, you need to find your current level of ability and challenge yourself by pushing slightly past it. Not too little, not too much.
So go on. Challenge yourself today!
Not sure what to do? We have trainers throughout the country who can help you. Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's one near you.
www.arni.uk.#ARNIstrokerehabr#neurorehabr#strokerehabr#arnistrokecharitya#strokerecoveryo#arnistroket#strokerehabilitationa#strokeexerciser#strokesurvivorscanrscan
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Dr Tom told me: There's little doubt that teaching stroke survivors to get up from the floor may help to allay their fears and those of their carers. If a fall does occur, being able to rise independently or with a minimum of assistance may avoid ‘long lies’ and their consequences as well as give people the confidence to participate in society knowing that they can ‘help themselves’ if need be, wherever they are.
At ARNI, as he is showing on the mat here, many stroke survivors who come to train with our Instructors simply cannot, at first, figure out how to get get down to the floor and get up again, or do it badly, dangerously or plain wrongly. For example, many stroke survivors report that they are shown how to lower themselves into a ‘kneeling position’. Unfortunately this takes a lot of courage to perform without holding onto anything. And often, limitations caused by drop foot means that stroke survivors anticipate falling forward or into the ‘gap created’ on the good side. And so they don’t do it, either instinctively realising that it’s impossible, or they crash to the floor with one knee in the attempt to stay upright as they descend. There are lots of badly bruised knees out there!
Can you get down and up from the floor with confidence now, after stroke? Please let usknow!!
www.arni.uk.com
#arnistrokerehab #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokecharity #strokerecovery #arnistroke #strokerehabilitation #strokeexercise #stroke
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Zoom based ARNI Instructor training course; starts on September 20, 2025
ARNI runs the ONLY FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATION & EXERCISE TRAINING QUALIFICATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK which teaches experienced therapists and exercise instructors how to continue the rehabilitation path of stroke and other acquired brain injury survivor.
You will learn how to teach things that stroke survivors really want, and will ask you for help with. With this CPD you will be ready to meet the full needs of a referred client.
Functional rehabilitation & exercise training after stroke taught by ARNI is characterised by: essential upper and lower limb task practice in order to recover action control, innovative physical coping strategies in order to perform ADLs independently… and appropriate stroke-specific cardiovascular and resistance training.
Enrol now!!
arni.uk.com/instructors/
#neurorehab #strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #exerciseafterstroke #strokerehabilitation #strokerecoveryexercises #strokeexerciseinstructor
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Cardiovascular exercise is defined as any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period of time. It isn’t difficult to do and there are lots of options.
Walking, jogging, running, cycling, stepping, swimming, boxercise and rowing are examples for those who haven’t suffered a stroke. Options for stroke survivors are narrowed somewhat from these choices but at least one or other of the above can probably be achievable, either supported or unsupported.
When you do these types of activities, your respiratory system starts working somewhat harder as you begin to breathe faster and more deeply. Your blood vessels expand to bring more oxygen to your muscles, and your body releases natural painkillers (endorphins).
exercises like walking and swimming, which can be done with friends or family, are a great way to socialise while achieving some exercise. Sometimes you won’t be able to get out and about as often as you need, to do a form of exercise , so it’s a good idea to plan how you’re going to get it done by yourself at home.
www.arni.uk.com
#exerciseafterstroke #strokerecovery #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #strokerecoveryexercises #neuroplasticity #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab
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You've heard of Tai Chi, yes? And the moderate to strong evidence for in assisting functional recovery from stroke?
And Ki-gong (or Qigong, qi gong, chi kung, chi 'ung, or chi gung - same things)?
In essence, for stroke survivors, I think it's better than Tai Chi because it's a pretty static (and v powerful) system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and energy-focus/production.
I practiced it extensively in my own acute to chronic recovery (I basically bought a couple of books and taught myself how to do it - and did it - every day without fail). I used Wong Kiew Kit's book - and he's done lots more since - see Amazon,
PLEASE INVESTIGATE IT - watch some youtube vids and then get outside or even next to an open window if it's raining - and do it! V good for balance, gait control and upper limb - all-round proprioception recovery, really...
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effect of Qigong exercise on motor function in stroke patients has just been published (25 Jul 2023) in the Journal 'Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation'
Methods: Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of Qigong on motor function of stroke patients were obtained from PubMed and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure through May 2022. Mean values and standard deviations of the post-intervention score in both experimental group and control group were collected to calculate the mean difference (MD) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of each study, which were quantificationally summarized using the Review Manager 5.3 software.
Results: Nineteen randomized controlled trials enrolling 1487 stroke patients were included. Pooled results indicated that Qigong exercise had beneficial effect on balance function (Berg Balance Scale), limb motor function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment); upper limb, lower limb and walking function (6-min walking test) of stroke patients. It was also found to be associated with an improvement in trunk function as indicated by the Trunk Impairment Scale.
Conclusions: Available evidence supported potential benefits of Qigong exercise for improving motor functions of stroke patients. As a safe and widely applicable exercise, Qigong is worthy of further promotion in the rehabili#neuroplasticity #strokerecoverya#arnistrokecharityp#ARNIstrokerehabe#neurorehabr#ARNIstrokerehab##arnistrokee#strokerehabilitations#arnistroke##walkingafterstrokee#kigonga#chigongNIstroke #walkingafterstroke #kigong #chigong
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ARNI: providing specialist rehabilitation and exercise support after hospital and community physiotherapy finishes.
Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com
www.arni.uk.com
#neuroplasticity #strokerehabilitation #strokerecovery #neurorehab #strokerecoveryexercises #exerciseafterstroke #strokeexercise
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How does ARNI work?
Current neurological scientific research supports the premise that your brain has the ability to positively adapt to assist recovery of lost function after stroke.
Probably one of the biggest advantages you have as a stroke survivor is your brain’s astonishing capacity for neuroplasticity, (Ask your current therapist about it). The notion of brain plasticity is one of the most extraordinary discoveries of the twentieth century. It suggests that the location of a given function in the brain (for example, speech) can move to another area of the brain. In the case of stroke, brain plasticity refers to healthy brain cells taking over the functions of damaged brain cells. This means that certain lost functions, such as speech and language, may re-emerge as the result of intensive rehabilitation. The idea of the brain being able to ‘adapt’ to a traumatic event is new and optimistic.
So, why is that more people are not getting more movement back again after stroke? The number one reason is physiological. For instance, stroke causes a number of changes with the body that must be tackled incrementally because stroke survivors frequently have insufficient underlying motor activity to start the kind of task related practice they need to do.
This system contains an abundance of techniques which are designed to prime the body for task-related practice. Often, therapists help stroke survivors to get to their feet and walk again after brain injury and many achieve great successes in the very short time they have to work with them in the acute/chronic stages. However we often see stroke survivors who find it hard to move on from sticks and orthotics… and other aids to functional movement and many feel they can achieve better function in their paretic (weak) hand if given a chance to do so. We can help in this situation.
With your ARNI Instructor:
The system you are about to learn has been refined over a period of 24 years with stroke survivors of varying ages, type and severity of stroke… and of time from injury. With your trainer, the application of individual trial and error is required in order to see what can be done using the specialised ARNI rehabilitation exercises and strategies… and to understand what goals can be reached. All training given will be appropriate to the individual, even though you may be working in a group class.
With your trainer, the application of individual trial and error is required in order to see what can be done using the specialised ARNI techniques and to understand what goals can be reached. You need to be working ‘on the edges’ of your current ability to stimulate maximum neuroplasticity.
Your Instructor will show you progressively more advanced exercises including an introduction concerning how you can prepare your body for rigorous weight training, if that is a further goal of yours. Usually only body-weight resistance work is used by Instructors, although the ARNI training syllabus incorporates just 2 highly effective techniques for compound resistance training (the deadlift and squat). Both are unusual variations of the usual techniques, as we have adapted them for stroke survivors’ limitations.
Your training will finish when you find you no longer need the help of our specialists, but you can continue to use their gyms or training areas, or find another outlet in your own area, however old you are, to continually be active in order to maintain and add to your gains in terms of movement, stability, strength and conditioning.
HARD WORK? Well, yes…
You might find yourself wondering by now whether you could even think about doing something like this especially as we will tell you it requires a lot of hard work. Actually it is progressive hard work. There is a big difference. We will surely push you, but within your own limitations, which are of course going to be moving targets.
The rehabilitative movements are done at a very basic level, designed especially for the trainee to understand how THEY can start to take charge of increasing action control (eg., enhance balance, reduce spasticity in upper limb, control the effects of drop-foot) Likewise, essential fitness and resistance training is carried out at a low level with great care in exercise selection and attention to form. This is NOT treatment by passive positioning. This is you DOING it. This is you using your plastic brain and regaining movement.
Call ARNI on 0203 053 0111; or email support@arni.uk.com
www.arni.uk.com
#strokerehabilitation #strokerehab #strokerecovery #arnistrokerehab #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #neurorehabilitation #strokerecoveryexercises #strokeexercise #exerciseafterstroke #strokesurvivors
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Knowing the difference between active and passive exercises means you can adapt exercises to your ability level. ARNI trainers are tare able to adjust your current exercises, or recommend new ones, to fit your needs. Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's a trainer near you.
www.arni.uk.#strokeexerciseinstructoru#neurorehabilitationa#exerciseafterstroket#strokerehabr#strokeexerciser#strokerehabilitationa#strokerecoveryexercisesc#neurorehabrehab
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Just to remind you - The ARNI programme offers a tailored training regime for each individual, which revolves around functional movement with task-related exercises. ARNI will teach you the importance of encouraging brain plasticity with the practice that you do. The ARNI Approach is the first comprehensive collection of reality-based techniques grounded in contemporary neurological research perspectives that is available for you to access after the assistance of the therapist.
This dedicated approach is completely unique; it has been designed specifically for the needs of the stroke survivor with partial paralysis who feels that they cannot find any way to recuperate further using more traditional approaches. It relies on the effects of a combination of neurologically complementary strategies.
Traditional therapy has for many years now been challenged by evidence revealing that task specific strength training and exercises.
We have trainers throughout the UK who can help you with your recovery. Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's one near you who can help you with your recove#strokeexerciser#neuroplasticityi#arnistrokecharitya#strokerecoveryo#strokesurvivorsi#neurorehabr#strokerehabilitationa#strokerecoveryexercisesc#exerciseafterstroketroke
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ARNI Programme | ARNI
arni.uk.com
The ‘ARNI Approach’ is an exciting development in the field of stroke rehabilitation, that has an international reputation for serious results in terms of it ability to assist stroke survivors toâ... 
The UCL World Stroke Day Forum is back! 
To help you with this and many other features of tackling limitations from stroke, you are invited to take part in a week-long programme of online sessions. 
Each survivor has their own particular presentation and we’re going to see what we can do so that everyone receives helpful tips for progression
One Comment
hi Tom, i hope you are well, and i would very much like to join you for this session and any others with similar contact, i am a firm believer in the arni system, and throughly enjoy and nave benefited from my sessions with you at lingfield, and also with my arni instructor Megan on her visits to my home, kind regards
Malcolm hill