“As soon as I get on that running frame, I forget about everything else.”
There’s lots of evidence that exercise has the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with MS. Researchers have now found that frame running could offer a safe and feasible way for people with MS with walking difficulties to exercise.
We know staying or becoming more active has a range of benefits, including helping to manage MS symptoms such as fatigue. It also helps with mental health and many people enjoy the social aspects.
It can be difficult for some people with MS to engage in physical activity. But researchers at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh have found that an adapted sport called frame running could help people with MS who experience moderate-to-severe walking impairments to exercise.
What did the researchers do?
It was a very small study: only ten people with progressive MS took part. They were all people who experienced moderate to severe walking difficulties. Everyone took part in a 12-week programme, attending weekly frame running sessions.
The researchers recorded their heart rate, number of steps per minute, and distance covered during training. A year after the programme, they asked everyone if they were still attending weekly frame running sessions.
What did they find?
The researchers found that frame running was both achievable and generally well tolerated. Participants attended the sessions reliably during the 12-week programme. And six of them even continued to attend weekly sessions at a local athletics club one year after the programme ended.
Frame running also increased participants’ heart rates to levels typically associated with moderate-to-vigorous exercise. This is important because some people with MS find it challenging to engage in high-intensity exercise. That’s exercise that raises the heart rate significantly and can increase the benefits we gain from physical activity.
Ella (not her real name) was diagnosed with MS in 2020. She’s one of the participants who continued frame running after the 12-week programme was over. She says: “As soon as I get on that frame, I forget about everything else. I’m like ‘here I go!’ and I just love that feeling. And I love my Strava record and concentrating on how many laps I’m going to do.
That feeling when your cheeks and legs are burning and you’re puffing away gives me such a sense of freedom. I feel so energised after every session.”
Seeing participants reach meaningful exercise intensities was incredibly encouraging. These levels of activity are linked to improved fitness, better symptom management and enhanced quality of life - yet they’re rarely accessible to people living with significant disability.
What does this mean?
Although it’s a very small study, this research shows that frame running could offer a way for people with MS to take part in exercise in a way that’s enjoyable and safe. But we need bigger studies to fully understand the effects frame running may have. And to help it become more widely accessible to people with MS.
Caitlin Astbury, our Senior Research Communications Manager, said:
This research provides early but promising evidence that frame running could be a safe and enjoyable way for people with mobility difficulties to take part in moderate to intense exercise. Studies like this help to identify and raise awareness of different types of exercise that people with MS may benefit from. We hope to see more research in this area in the future.
Interested in getting more active?
Ella says: “To anybody thinking about it, give it a go – what’s the worst that could happen? For me, it’s been a game changer. It’s a way of keeping going without focusing too much on the MS.
MS does not define me – I would like to think Frame Running expresses more about me: enthusiasm, determination, encouraging and supporting others, having fun and enjoying exercise with my teammates.”
Frame running is available at some local sports clubs across the UK. But unfortunately, it’s not available in all areas yet. You can try to find out if it’s available near you, by searching online for “Frame running + your location”.
However MS affects you, exercise can help you stay as healthy as possible. Exercising can also improve your mood and some MS symptoms. All kinds of movement can be good for you. The important thing is to find exercises to suit you. You can find more information about staying active on our website. You can also get in touch with your local MS group to see if they offer any adapted exercise classes.
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