When Tiger Woods tied for fifth place at Bay Hill last March, it showed that his two-year-long recovery from knee and back surgeries was paying off. Now Tiger fans expect fewer strokes every time he plays.

That same principle of stroke recovery applies to the 7 million Americans who are stroke survivors.

But far too many aren't getting back in their game because they've missed essential post-stroke recovery steps.

According to the American Heart Association, fewer than 1 in 100 stroke survivors is following all the recovery guidelines.

They include: not smoking, getting regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, plus achieving normal body mass index, blood pressure, glucose levels and total cholesterol.

And we'd add two more: Learning how to manage stress and getting post-stroke rehab.

Rehab — done as early as possible — boosts quality of life. It involves putting together a team of doctors, family, caregivers, physical and occupational therapists, nutritionists and others.

To meet the dietary guidelines: Adopt the MIND Diet (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) to protect the brain.

To reduce the increased post-stroke risks of elevated glucose, BP and LDL cholesterol levels and ease depression and fatigue, boost your physical activity, along with medical management, if needed.