Hip flexors affect walking, posture, and mobility after stroke. This video explains hip flexor function and tightness in a simple way. The hip flexors are not just one muscle. They are a muscle group that includes key muscles such as the iliopsoas, rectus femoris (quadriceps), tensor fasciae latae (TFL), and sartorius. These muscles play an important role in lifting the leg, stepping forward, balance, and functional mobility. In this video, I explain how hip flexor tightness or poor activation can contribute to gait difficulties, stiffness, compensations, and recovery challenges after stroke. Understanding this area can help stroke survivors, caregivers, and rehabilitation professionals support safer and more effective movement. More stroke recovery videos and education available in membership. See Tracy's Membership https://www.tracymarkley.com/memebership on this website to join.
How Supported Lunges Retrain Spatial Awareness After Stroke (Not Just an Exercise)
Shoulder Subluxation After Stroke – What It Is, Why It Happens & What Helps - How Posture is essential for fixing shoulder subluxation.
In this video, I teach one essential leg-stabilizing exercise that is often missed or never taught — even though it plays a critical role in supporting standing balance, walking safety, and fall prevention. This exercise targets the inner thigh (adductor) muscles, which help stabilize the femur (thigh bone) during weight-bearing, standing, and walking. Without proper activation of these muscles, many stroke survivors struggle with: • leg instability • difficulty standing upright • unsafe walking patterns • increased fall risk
When working on balance, walking, and stabilization, safety starts with what you hold onto. In this short video, I demonstrate and explain the specific purpose of using a secure wall-mounted bar during balance and stabilization exercises.
The rhomboid muscles play an essential role in arm movement, shoulder stability, and upper-body coordination, especially for stroke survivors working on arm recovery. In this video, Tracy Markley explains how the rhomboids support proper shoulder blade positioning and how they directly affect reaching, lifting, and controlled arm movements.
Can a stroke survivor recover 100%? This is one of the most common — and misunderstood — questions in stroke recovery. In this video, I stroke recovery specialist, author, and educator, gives an honest, experience-based answer and explains what truly influences recovery potential after stroke.
Music can be a powerful tool in stroke recovery. In this video, I share how listening to your favorite songs can improve cognition, mood, verbal memory, language recovery, attention, and motivation — and why your brain responds so strongly to music you already love. Recent neuroscience research shows that familiar music activates multiple regions of the brain at once, including areas involved in attention, memory, auditory processing, emotional regulation, and motor function. I also discuss a lecture from a neuroscientist whose clinical studies demonstrate how personalized music enhances neuroplasticity and improves cognitive processing after a stroke
Proper posture is the foundation for safe walking, balance, and full-body movement. In this playlist, you’ll learn how core stability, spine alignment, hip and shoulder positioning, and mobility all work together to improve gait, prevent falls, and support recovery for seniors and stroke survivors. Created by Tracy Markley, Balance & Walking Recovery Specialist
Hydration for Brain Health & Stroke Recovery | Reduce Fatigue, Brain Fog & Cognitive Decline. Hydration is critical for brain health—especially after a stroke. In this playlist, I explain how dehydration and partial dehydration can mimic or worsen stroke symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, cognitive slowing, confusion, balance problems, and reduced recovery progress. For stroke survivors, the brain is healing from a brain injury. When the brain is not properly hydrated, it is forced to recover under added stress—creating a “double whammy” that can increase fatigue, limit cognitive function, and slow neurological recovery. These videos focus on hydration as brain care, not just a wellness habit. You’ll learn how water supports brain function, why dehydration impacts cognition and energy levels, and how staying properly hydrated can help support stroke recovery, reduce unnecessary fatigue, and improve day-to-day brain performance. Whether you are a stroke survivor, caregiver, or working to protect your brain health, this playlist helps you understand why hydrating the brain matters.
This playlist is a visual companion to the book The Stroke of an Artist: The Journey of a Fitness Trainer and a Stroke Survivor by Tracy L. Markley. Each video captures a stroke recovery power moment — a real-life ability returning, one at a time and some of the exercises that were done. Included are a few other videos of client successes and power moments. These moments were the direct inspiration for writing The Stroke of an Artist: The Journey of a Fitness Trainer and a Stroke Survivor - and represent the real experiences that led to the book.
In stroke recovery "tiny" "small" achievements matter. In the stroke recovery video Tracy Markley explains why. What seems small may be huge!
In this live teaching session, Tracy Markley demonstrates progressive balance training beginning on the ground and advancing through a balance pad, balance disc, and BOSU ball. Rather than simply showing movements, Tracy explains how different surfaces challenge proprioception, activate the central nervous system (CNS), and support walking stability and functional movement.
Tracy Markley — Stroke Recovery Specialist, author, and educator — explains the rotator cuff in clear, simple terms. Tracy demonstrates rotator cuff exercises that help strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint. In this 7-minute video, you will learn exercises that target the four rotator cuff muscles. These muscles work together to stabilize the shoulder and support safe, controlled movement of the ball-and-socket joint. These exercises can support shoulder strength, joint protection, and movement control for general fitness, injury prevention, and stroke recovery. Understanding how the rotator cuff muscles function during exercise helps improve shoulder stability and protect the joint during movement.
In this short video, Tracy Markley explains where the transverse abdominal muscle wraps around the body and how engaging it supports posture and stabilizes the pelvis so the hips, legs, and feet can work more effectively. In this 7-minute video, you will learn exercises that target the four rotator cuff muscles. These muscles work together to stabilize the shoulder and support safe, controlled movement of the ball-and-socket joint. These exercises can support shoulder strength, joint protection, and movement control for general fitness, injury prevention, and stroke recovery. Understanding how the rotator cuff muscles function during exercise helps improve shoulder stability and protect the joint during movement.