MS and exercise

Research tells us exercise can improve your mood, mobility and muscle strength, as well as some MS symptoms.

We know staying active can:

• help you manage MS symptoms, including fatigue, and problems with balance and walking.
• improve your mood
• improve your overall health when your MS is mild
• help you to stay as mobile and active as possible when your MS is more severe
• decrease the risk of heart disease.

There's not any one activity that could be called an ‘MS exercise’. MS affects people in different ways, so what works for you might not work for someone else.

Find something you enjoy and that feels right to you, whether that's swimming, gardening or stretching.

Activities might include:

• walking, swimming, gardening or housework
• resistance or strengthening exercises (lifting or moving weights)
• aerobic exercises (such as cycling, running or rowing)
• stretching (helps keep muscles supple and relaxed)
• range of motion (moving your arms, legs, wrists and ankles in wide circular patterns)
• posture exercises help keep your feet, knees, pelvis, shoulders and head properly aligned, to reduce strain on the muscles and bones in the body
• water-based exercise. Water supports your body, reduces your risk of falls and there’s less stress on your joints and muscles.

If your situation changes, you might want to try a new sport or adjust what you do already. You could also work with a physiotherapist or occupational therapist to discover the best exercises for you. Ask your GP for a referral.

The Just Swim website has more about 'Swimming with Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis'. It includes specific MS information. 

Fatigue

Exercise can bring improvements in strength, fitness and mood – all of which might help you to manage your fatigue.

Balance and walking

Carefully designed physiotherapy programmes, outdoor walking and aerobics can help people improve your balance and walking.

Muscle spasms or stiffness

Physiotherapy, including stretching and range-of-motion exercises, is a key part of treating and managing muscle spasms or stiffness.

Yoga could also improve your flexibility and reduce muscle stiffness.

Bladder and bowel

A continence adviser, MS nurse or physiotherapist can help you with pelvic floor exercises for bladder control.

Keeping physically active may help some people with bowel control.

Low mood, anxiety or depression

If you're experiencing issues such as low mood, anxiety or depression, exercise could help you. Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help relieve mild to moderate depression.

And group activities like tai chi offer social and emotional support. Exercise can be a good way to meet new people.

Start slowly and don’t try to do too much, too soon. Let your body get used to the new activity and figure out which exercises are comfortable for you. Over time, you'll be able to gauge what your limits are.

Warm up with gentle stretching before you exercise. If you're doing aerobic exercise, you should start slowly, to build your heart rate gradually. To avoid muscles becoming tight and stiff, stretch to ‘cool down’ afterwards too.

Lots of people with MS are sensitive to heat. Some people adjust the exercise they choose, or find effective ways to stay cool and keep effects to a minimum.

Here are some practical things you can try if you are heat sensitive:

• Avoid overly hot swimming pools. Try to find a pool where the water temperature is below 29ºC
• Break up exercise sessions into smaller sections, with regular breaks
• Drinking ice drinks, wearing a ‘cooling vest’ and taking a cool bath before exercising might help you to exercise for longer
• Keep the exercise space well ventilated. A fan might help.

Be careful if you apply ice or cold packs directly to the skin, or when using cooling garments or cold water to cool down.

MS can cause changes to the way you experience temperature. It can distort the feeling that would normally tell you when something is too hot or too cold - so take care not to damage the skin. Your GP, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or MS nurse can help make sure cooling techniques you try are not harmful.

Read an in-depth article about why heat affects MS and ways to stay cool

Exercising doesn’t have to be expensive. There might be groups running cheaper classes in your area, perhaps linked to the local MS Society group.

And a physiotherapist might suggest ways to get the same physical workout at home as you’d get in a gym.

Many sports centres have reduced rates if you get benefits such as PIP (Personal Independence Payment) or Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland).

In some areas, doctors prescribe exercise - for instance through the NHS Exercise Referral Scheme. That might arrange for you to exercise for free at a local fitness centre. Ask your GP or another health care professional about the scheme.

Some gyms have signed up to being more accessible through the Inclusive Fitness Initiative. Most of these are in England, but wherever you are, it’s worth asking gyms how they’re set up to help you use their services.