MOBILE – “Staying Fit For Life” is the focus of the next South Alabama Regional Stroke Support Group meeting at the University of South Alabama Medical Center. The popular stroke support group will meet from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, April 21 in the USA Medical Center’s 10th floor dining room. The stroke support group meets the third Tuesday of each month.

The guest speaker will be occupational therapist Bethany Edmond.  “Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for sustaining a stroke,” Edmond said.  “Therefore, I will be talking about how to increase your daily activity through your normal daily lives and adding more exercise-driven activities in order to decrease your risks for stroke.”

In particular, Edmond will discuss:

• Benefits of exercise in general, including current research
• American Heart Association Guidelines
• Healthy People 2010 Recommendations/Objectives
• How to start, how to keep going with new exercises
• Target heart rate while exercising
• Different types of exercises: aerobic/cardio, stretching/flexibility and balance/coordination and how much of each is necessary
• Pre-stroke vs. post-stroke to prevent future occurrences

“We will engage in some exercises with each other for hands-on learning, followed by a question/answer and discussion to end the session,” Edmond said.

In addition to Edmond’s talk, the meeting – sponsored by USA Medical Center - will feature a healthy meal and door prizes.  Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 471-7752, 471-7216 or e-mailing ccarrigan@usouthal.edu.

USA Medical Center is the first facility in Mobile to earn Primary Stroke Center certification from the Joint Commission, the nation’s predominant health care standards-setting and accrediting body.  USA Medical Center is also the state’s first Gold Performance Achievement Award recipient for stroke care, awarded by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.