Physical Activity and MS

Keeping active is important to living well with MS. Physical activity and exercise can help ease MS symptoms, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life. But what works for one person might not have the same effect for someone else. You need to find the activities that are right for you — and then commit to staying active and engaged with your health. 

People with MS may experience different challenges that limit them from being physically active, like a lack of energy, mobility impairment, or fear of injury. When you’re doing physical activity, it’s important to listen to your body and adjust your activities based on what you’re able to do and comfortable with.  

When you're living with MS, staying active can be a big part of staying healthy. Some ways exercise and physical activity can improve the life of a person living with MS include: 

• Improving your strength and aerobic fitness
• Maintaining walking and balance
• Lowering levels of fatigue 
• Helping you sleep better
• Improving your mood 
• Helping you stay independent in daily life  

Physical activity and exercise can help maintain your independence and enhance quality of life. It can also improve aerobic endurance, strength, lower limb mobility, and lower the risk of secondary diseases such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. 

Keeping physically active can help manage MS symptoms like mobility, pain, fatigue, balance, and depression, as well as other diseases (comorbidities) that can affect people with MS, including obesity and cardiovascular disease. Consider these activities and their benefits: 

• Aerobic and cardiovascular fitness refers to the body's ability to take in and supply oxygen and energy to the muscles during activity. Examples of activities that can improve one's aerobic fitness include walking, seated arm cycling (an option for people with mobility loss) and swimming.  
  
  Check out TIME™ at Home and NeuroSask: Active and Connected – both virtual movement programs tailored to people with neurological conditions to see if it’s right for you or a loved one.
• Strength and resistance training focuses on improving muscle strength and endurance and has been linked to improvements in bone and muscle health, increased metabolism, and reduced obesity. Examples of activities that can improve muscle strength and endurance are lifting free weights, using resistance bands and body weight exercises.
• Yoga can offer many benefits, including improved flexibility, strength, balance, mobility and pain.

Register for our Gentle Yoga program

Physical activity isn't the same as exercise. While it's always a good idea to fit some exercise into your weekly schedule, staying active doesn't have to mean hitting the gym every day. Household or leisure activities like cleaning, taking the dog for a walk, and gardening all count as physical activity. The point is to get moving, no matter what form that movement takes. 

If you spend most of your day inactive, it can take a toll on your body. Inactivity makes your muscles weaker, which makes it harder to do everyday tasks. Doing different activities, like taking a walk or doing a few basic seated yoga poses, keeps your joints and muscles flexible.  

Schedule a few cardiovascular and strength training activities along with your daily movement, and choose activities you’re comfortable with and able to do. Thirty minutes of aerobic activity twice a week keeps your heart and lungs healthy. Add two sessions a week of strength training to build muscle and improve your core strength. Some people experience a temporary increase in MS symptoms caused by a rise in body temperature after an exercise session, but things typically return to normal soon after the physical activity ends. 

Personalization is key when you're developing a physical activity plan, especially if you’re using a wheelchair. If you’re sensitive to heat, exercising in air-conditioned spaces or participating in naturally cooling activities like swimming can help. Fatigue might make exercising at certain times of the day more productive, and using props could help improve balance so you can focus on building strength or endurance. Breaking up activity into shorter bouts throughout the day can also make exercise more manageable. 

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) released the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with MS, which explains ideal conditions for exercise to improve fitness. According to these guidelines, people living with MS should aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity twice a week, as well as two sessions of strength training. Recommendations from the National MS Society in the United States also provide guidance for both exercise and physical activity across all levels of disability for people with MS.  

Your physician should base their recommendation on your abilities, preferences, and safety concerns.  

Exercise and Living With MS 

For Patrycia Rzechowka, a 2012 diagnosis of MS brought concerns that she might have to give up her active lifestyle. At the time, the current thought was that exercise wasn't good for people with MS, but training for MS Bike made her realize that physical activity actually helped her feel better.  

As more research rolled in, the confirmation that exercise helps the mental and physical well-being of those with MS justified what Patrycia had already noticed. Now, she encourages others with MS to find an activity they love and just start simple.  

"My own mind has been an obstacle," says Patrycia. "I used to think that exercise had to be this huge ordeal, spending hours at a gym, getting as sweaty as possible. This just wasn’t healthy or sustainable. Finding the things you love motivates you to do it, because it’s fun, not a chore." 

Find out more about MS Bike and getting active while having fun cycling

View From a Nurse 

Shauna Brady, a registered nurse who works with people living with MS, believes that bodies are made to move, and this doesn't stop after a diagnosis of MS. 

One tip Shauna has for people with MS who want to become more physically active is to keep the focus on safety and individual abilities. Consistency counts more than reaching specific fitness goals, and you may need to adapt exercises for your abilities or comfort level. 

"Always consider your safety first," says Shauna. "If you feel unstable on your feet, don’t be afraid to adjust or modify the exercise if needed. If you need to use walking poles or a walker, that’s okay. Use a shopping cart for balance so you can focus on endurance and be less concerned about falling." 

MS Researcher's Thoughts on MS and Activity  

Dr. Lara Pilutti, an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa's Brain and Mind Research Institute, has studied the effects of exercise on people with MS and found plenty of benefits for those who want to add more physical activity into their lives.  

Exercise not only improves aerobic fitness and muscle strength, it's also been shown to improve MS symptoms like fatigue, pain, and depressive symptoms. Exercise can also improve mobility and the ability to participate in everyday activities. 

One challenge Dr. Pilutti points out is the lack of longer studies looking at the connection between physical activity and MS symptom progression.  

"Most of the exercise research to date has lasted several weeks to several months, making it difficult to draw conclusions," she explains. "Recent studies have begun to look at long-term exercise effects and will help to answer this question in the future." 

Read more about the importance of physical activity and MS on our blog.  

Embracing Physical Activity to Feel Better 

Getting active isn't only about checking off the boxes of things you're supposed to do for your health. It's something that helps you feel your best. But before you start, remember to check in with your health care provider to ensure it’s the best choice for you.  

Whether you're starting a new exercise program or adapting your favourite sport or activity to accommodate your needs, staying active is an essential part of your overall well-being.