Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to manage multiple sclerosis (MS). It helps with fatigue and weakness, protects your heart and general health, and lifts your mood. Starting can feel hard when symptoms get in the way, but you do not have to do a lot at once. With a little planning, exercise can become a regular part of your life.
Start With What You Can Do
Many people picture exercise as long, hard workouts. For people with MS, it works better to start small and build up. Aim to be active a few times a week, and begin with just three to five minutes at a time if that is what you can manage. Add a minute or two as you get stronger. Two short sessions, such as two 10-minute blocks, can work as well as one long one. You have to start somewhere, and small amounts add up.
Use An Activity Diary
Fatigue often follows a pattern. For three or four days, keep a simple diary of what you do and when you feel most tired. Once you see your pattern, plan the tasks that take energy for your high-energy times, and save easier tasks for when you are tired. Many people find this one tool makes the biggest difference.
Choose the Right Kind of Exercise
The best exercise is one you can do safely and will keep doing. If walking is hard, a stationary bike is a safe choice, because you are already home if you get tired. Swimming, water exercise, and elliptical machines are other good options. Mix up your activities so exercise does not get boring, and expect to change what you do as your MS changes over time.
Find the Right Intensity
Use the talk test. Tracking your heart rate does not work well if MS causes numbness in your fingers. Instead, exercise at a level where you can still hold a conversation. If you cannot talk, slow down. If talking is easy, you can pick up the pace.
Build activity into daily life. Parking a little farther from the door on good days is an easy way to add exercise. Save your energy on days when you need it for something important.
Stay Cool While You Exercise
Exercise raises your body temperature, and heat can worsen MS symptoms and fatigue. Work out in a cool room, keep a fan nearby, sip cold water, and keep a spray bottle handy to mist yourself, which helps if MS has made it hard to sweat.
Getting Started and Staying with It
The hardest part is often getting started. If you are not sure where to begin, ask your care team. The VA has physical, occupational, and recreational therapists who can design a program for you, and adaptive sports and equipment can open up activities you may not think are possible. You do not have to do this alone.
When to Talk to Your Provider
Talk with your VA health care provider before starting a new exercise program, and ask for a referral to a physical or occupational therapist if you want help building a plan that fits your abilities. They can also help with walking problems, energy-saving strategies, and adaptive equipment so you can stay active safely.
Based on articles by Lucinda Hugos, MS, PT and David Tostenrude.
