Stroke survivors: could this seated exercise boost your fitness and brain health?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Both sexes between the age of 20-85 years at time of consent * Chronic ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke 6 months to 15 years at consent. People with stroke and newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications had \>50% prevalence of recurrent stroke at 5 years. Index stroke or recurrent stroke on same side as index stroke will be allowed. * Ability to walk over ground with assistive devices and no continuous physical assistance from another person to perform tests for gait speed and six-minute walk test * Exercise continuously for minimum of 30 watts for 3 minutes on the recumbent stepper to demonstrate ability to perform the exercise test. * No aerobic exercise contraindications or other safety/physical concerns during the submaximal exercise test. * Able to communicate with investigators, follow 2-step command \& correctly answer consent comprehension questions * Currently participating in less than 150 minutes of physical activity/week assessed by the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity * Stable blood pressure \& statin medication doses for 30 days prior to enrollment due to effects on vascular health/hemodynamics Exclusion Criteria: * Hospitalization for cardiac or pulmonary disease within past 3 months * Implanted pacemaker or defibrillator limiting exercise performance * Reported pain that limits or interferes with activities of daily living and physical activity/exercise * Severe LE spasticity (Ashworth \>2) due to inability to exercise * Recent history (\<3 months) of illicit drug or alcohol abuse or diagnosis of significant mental illness * Major post-stroke depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9 ≥ 1084) * Currently participating in physical therapy targeting lower extremity function or another interventional study that may influence study outcomes * Other significant neurologic, orthopedic or peripheral vascular conditions that would limit exercise participation * Oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * Diagnosis of other neurological disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease) * Self report pregnancy