'I'm lucky to be alive', says Andrew Marr as he makes first public appearance since suffering massive stroke which left him unable to walk
BBC presenter Andrew Marr revealed he
was 'lucky to be alive' after an intense exercise session on a rowing
machine led to him suffering a major stroke.
In his first television appearance since falling ill more than three months ago, Mr Marr said walking was still difficult and his left arm 'isn't much good yet'.
But the 53-year-old told viewers of his Sunday morning political show that his voice and memory were unaffected and he was 'certainly coming back' to television after undergoing physiotherapy.
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The father of three was considered physically fit before his stroke and enjoyed long- distance running.
In the lead-up to the stroke, he had been experimenting with a high-intensity exercise regime, which caused him to tear the artery which takes blood to the brain during a strenuous session on a rowing machine. He said: 'I had a major stroke. I'm frankly lucky to be alive.
'I had been very, very heavily overworking – mostly my own fault – in the year before that. I'd had two minor strokes, it turned out in that year, which I hadn't noticed.
He said he had been trying to follow advice that short intense bursts of activity were the way to health.
He added: 'Well, I went on to a rowing machine and gave it everything I had and had a very strange feeling afterwards and then a blinding headache and flashes of light.'
After the episode, Mr Marr said he served the family meal as normal, before going to bed but woke up the next morning lying on the floor and unable to move.
He said: 'I'd torn the carotid artery
which takes blood into the brain and had a stroke overnight, which
basically just wipes out a bit of your brain. In my case, luckily, not
my voice or memory or anything like that, but the whole left hand side
of my body, so I'm still not able to walk fluently.
'I do a kind of elegant hobble is the best I can manage. My left arm isn't much good yet. I've got a lot of physio still to do.'
Recent research has suggested only a few minutes of high intensity training each week can result in major health improvements, including burning fat more effectively.
But Mr Marr believes what happened to him can serve as a warning about overly intensive fitness regimes.
He joked with stand-in presenter Sophie Raworth: 'Beware rowing machines – or at least beware being too enthusiastic on rowing machines – would be my message to the nation.'
In a pre-recorded section of the live
show, Mr Marr appeared on the sofa with former Conservative Cabinet
minister Lord Parkinson and Labour peer Baroness Kennedy.
Miss Raworth led a discussion about Lady Thatcher before asking Mr Marr about his recovery. He said: 'The only way through is intensive physio and doing a lot of it.
'And I am now in the period where if I really concentrate on the physio I will get better. And if I don't, I won't, which is why I'm not back trying to do the job full-time, I have to say.'
Asked whether he plans to return to the show, he said: 'I'm going to be taking your chair, I'm absolutely sure, when I'm ready to do so. I'm certainly coming back. I've got a lot more to say about it all but I'm going to wait until I've gone through the physio to do so.'
In his first television appearance since falling ill more than three months ago, Mr Marr said walking was still difficult and his left arm 'isn't much good yet'.
But the 53-year-old told viewers of his Sunday morning political show that his voice and memory were unaffected and he was 'certainly coming back' to television after undergoing physiotherapy.
Scroll down for video
BBC presenter Andrew Marr has said he is 'lucky
to be alive' as he made his first television appearance since suffering a
major stroke three and a half months ago
He blamed a combination of overwork and excessive exercise for what happened to him
Mr Marr told viewers of his Sunday morning
current affairs show that walking was still difficult and his left arm
'isn't much good yet' but his voice and memory were unimpaired
In the lead-up to the stroke, he had been experimenting with a high-intensity exercise regime, which caused him to tear the artery which takes blood to the brain during a strenuous session on a rowing machine. He said: 'I had a major stroke. I'm frankly lucky to be alive.
'I had been very, very heavily overworking – mostly my own fault – in the year before that. I'd had two minor strokes, it turned out in that year, which I hadn't noticed.
He said he had been trying to follow advice that short intense bursts of activity were the way to health.
He added: 'Well, I went on to a rowing machine and gave it everything I had and had a very strange feeling afterwards and then a blinding headache and flashes of light.'
After the episode, Mr Marr said he served the family meal as normal, before going to bed but woke up the next morning lying on the floor and unable to move.
VIDEO 'I'm lucky to be alive.' Andrew Marr back on TV after stroke
Marr today told viewers of his Sunday morning
current affairs show that walking was still difficult and his left arm
'isn't much good yet'
'I do a kind of elegant hobble is the best I can manage. My left arm isn't much good yet. I've got a lot of physio still to do.'
Recent research has suggested only a few minutes of high intensity training each week can result in major health improvements, including burning fat more effectively.
But Mr Marr believes what happened to him can serve as a warning about overly intensive fitness regimes.
He joked with stand-in presenter Sophie Raworth: 'Beware rowing machines – or at least beware being too enthusiastic on rowing machines – would be my message to the nation.'
He said he is 'lucky to be alive' as he made his
first television appearance since suffering a major stroke three and a
half months ago
Miss Raworth led a discussion about Lady Thatcher before asking Mr Marr about his recovery. He said: 'The only way through is intensive physio and doing a lot of it.
'And I am now in the period where if I really concentrate on the physio I will get better. And if I don't, I won't, which is why I'm not back trying to do the job full-time, I have to say.'
Asked whether he plans to return to the show, he said: 'I'm going to be taking your chair, I'm absolutely sure, when I'm ready to do so. I'm certainly coming back. I've got a lot more to say about it all but I'm going to wait until I've gone through the physio to do so.'