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i think it's kind of like anything else; you don't feel like a champ the first time out. so if exercise takes you down after 5 minutes, maybe it will take longer next time out etc. i just keep trying to do stuff and i think it makes your body try harder to get things working again, and the things that messed you up at first will not even phase you down the road. gotta keep hydrated and fuelled up and all that jazz too, though.

i am going for a higher level ski instructor cert in march and i haven't really been evaluated on snow since my dx attack. have to train 8 evenings btw now and then. i will report on whether it takes me out much, but it's not really a workout as such, just not falling! what do they call downhill skiing again... a series of linked recoveries?

Mary wrote:I am trying to make myself get on my eliptical machine and I've been consistent for almost two weeks but I have noticed that my balance seems worse and my legs are feeling a bit 'off'...does it get worse before it gets better?

I had to start at the very lowest and easiest level. I'm gradually increasing my time and tension on the machine. I don't expect to get up too high because when I get overheated I have to cool down and stop. But a good 25-30 workout is all I need for strength and cardio.

I'm only doing 1-2 times a week but hope to increase it gradually as well.

Ewizabeth,

I did 10 minutes on my eliptical trainer today. At the beginning I used a medium intensity and released tension and lowered it a little after every couple of minutes. You say you only do one or two times a week. Is it because you can't fit it in timewise or is it because it zaps your strength and you need time to recover?
I feel extremely beat up right now (I literally got off the machine 5 minutes ago).

Marcia

Hi Marcia,

I don't have the time and energy but I need to find more of both. I work ten hour days 4 days a week so I'm usually too tired to exercise when I get home. On my days off I lay around a lot but I need to get up and get moving. I think I'll do better with time, I just need to develop a routine.

The first time I tried the machine I went at it with gusto and I felt like I'd broken both legs for a couple of weeks. I was worried I'd done serious damage to something. So now, I know I have to go very slowly and not push myself. I need to work my leg strength up gradually if I don't want to risk a serious injury.

I've been using my elliptical regularly since the first of the year and so far so good. I'm up to 20 min but I make sure not to push it too hard till the last 5 or 10 min so I don't exhaust myself. There have been a few times that I had to really push myself to continue because I was so tired but I actually feel much better after. At first my right leg and knee would be a little stiff the next day but now it doesn't bother me. Hopefully I can continue with my program and my leg will hold up.

has anyone here read dancing with ms?

No, I've never heard of it. Who's the author? Is it worth the read?

Marcia

I did. Eva Marsh is the author. When I ordered her book, she even dedicated her book to me and we exchanged letters. She is a great inspiration but no matter how hard I try, I don't think I will be able to recover as well as she did. Great book.

I've found that slow cadence weight lifting works wonders and avoids getting hot and sweaty. I've been lifting weights for over 25 years and over the past several I switched to slow cadence lifting. Not only am I in the best shape I've ever been in, I spend far less time working out. And it hasn't conflicted with my MS.

Two books on the topic (and the diet in the first book is very good too):
http://www.amazon.com/Power-10-Once-Wee ... 00034P80K/
http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Burn-Fitness ... 767913868/

It has worked great for me, my wife, and my best friend. But it seems like it wouldn't when you read about it.

Just wanted to let everyone know about an exercise dvd I bought in case you were also thinking of purchasing it. I got the Biggest Loser Cardio dvd thinking that since it would be obese and formerly obese people exercising surely someone 30 lbs overweight would have no problem, plus I love the show. Boy was I WRONG! I would not recommend anyone with major balance issues or problems with overheating to purchase the dvd. My balance issues are only minor and I defintely felt them and my face was flushed and warm to the touch over a half hour later. I was a little worried that I would exacerbate my symptoms but so far so good. I will probably be pretty sore and stiff tomorrow though. This was after only level 1. It was an intense cardio workout if you can handle it but it's not for everyone. (I still haven't decided if I can handle it) I would defintely take it slow if you do purchase the dvd.

I was re-reading the posts and MattB I am also on Rebif. My symptoms have been very minor but I will say that I don't have the energy to exercise the morning after my shot. I have to do it after work. That's been the only adjustment I've had to make. That and not over-doing any exercise.

Thought I'd add to this exercise-related thread rather than starting a new one...


Exercise increases brain growth factor and receptors, prevents stem cell drop in middle age

A new study confirms that exercise can reverse the age-related decline in the production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus of the mouse brain, and suggests that this happens because exercise restores a brain chemical which promotes the production and maturation of new stem cells.

Neural stem cells and progenitor cells differentiate into a variety of mature nerve cells which have different functions, a process called neurogenesis. There is evidence that when fewer new stem or progenitor cells are produced in the hippocampus, it can result in impairment of the learning and memory functions. The hippocampus plays an important role in memory and learning.

The study, "Exercise enhances the proliferation of neural stem cells and neurite growth and survival of neuronal progenitor cells in dentate gyrus of middle-aged mice," was carried out by Chih-Wei Wu, Ya-Ting Chang, Lung Yu, Hsiun-ing Chen, Chauying J. Jen, Shih-Ying Wu, Chen-Peng Lo, Yu-Min Kuo, all of the National Cheng Kung University Medical College in Taiwan. The study appears in the November issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society.

The researchers built on earlier studies that found that the production of stem cells in the area of the hippocampus known as the dentate gyrus drops off dramatically by the time mice are middle age and that exercise can slow that trend. In the current study, the researchers wanted to track these changes in mice over time, and find out why they happen.

One hypothesis the researchers investigated is that the age-related decline in neurogenesis is tied to a rise in corticosterone in middle age. Elevation of corticosterone has been associated with a drop in the production of new stem cells in the hippocampus.

The second hypothesis is that nerve growth factors -- which encourage new neural cell growth but which decrease with age -- account for the drop in neurogenesis. Specifically, the study looked at whether a decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor leads to a decline in new neural stem cells.

for the rest of the article:
http://www.physorg.com/news146219732.html

I like the ellipse best personally it kind of mimics walking without needing you to be able to pick up the draggy foot.

8 months ago I qave up my gym member ship cause we are building an accessible house that will have an exercise room in it. I should not have done that so long ago (house took a long time) but I was so weak after working out driving home was getting a little creepy, so home workout seemed better.

But here's the thing we are doing in the exercise room: I bought a climbers harness that a rock climber would use to keep from falling off the mountain. I plan to add a barn door slide (the thing that slides a huge barn door side to side to close the door, it's a track with a rolling thing that can attach to the wood door) to the ceiling of the exercise room. We plan to attach the climbers harness to the slide, that way I can either walk back and forth along the slide length, or get up on the equipment without worry about falling down.

There's a device called solo step that is commercially available works the same way used in P.T. offices, this set up I devised to mimic it is about $250

I go to the gym at work but am quite restricted. I use the treadmill but I can't go too fast and have to hold onto the rails and be connected to the emergency stop in case I fall (draggy right leg).

The best thing for me is the recumbant exercise bike - I can really push myself but know I won't fall. I also like to swim as that doesn't make me too wonky!

I'm a elliptical trainer lover myself. The feet are directed by the pedals, and you can balance yourself on the vertical hand rails. You have to be careful with the cheap ones, as they have a very short stride length, which is not natural.

What I don't like is the fact that even though the motions feels natural, your feet are pointing down as they are moving forward. Which is the opposite to walking or running. I talked to a personal trainer, and he said that having the feet (ie toes) pointed up on the forward motion, places the knees under more stess.

Another interesting exercise study...


Aerobic Fitness is Associated with Gray Matter Volume and White Matter Integrity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Brain Res. 2009 Jun 25.
Prakash RS, Snook EM, Motl RW, Kramer AF.
Beckman Institute & Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Alterations in gray and white matter have been well documented in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Severity and extent of such brain tissue damage have been associated with cognitive impairment, disease duration and neurological disability, making quantitative indices of tissue damage important markers of disease progression.

In this study, we investigated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and measures of gray matter atrophy and white matter integrity. Employing a voxel-based approach to analyses of gray matter and white matter, we specifically examined whether higher levels of fitness in multiple sclerosis participants were associated with preserved gray matter volume and integrity of white matter. We found a positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and regional gray matter volumes and higher focal fractional anisotropy values. Statistical mapping revealed that higher levels of fitness were associated with greater gray matter volume in the midline cortical structures including the medial frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus. Further, we also found increasing levels of fitness were associated with higher fractional anisotropy in the left thalamic radiation and right anterior corona radiata. Both preserved gray matter volume and white-matter tract integrity were associated with better performance on measures of processing speed.

Taken together, these results suggest that fitness exerts a prophylactic influence on the cerebral atrophy observed early on preserving neuronal integrity in multiple sclerosis, thereby reducing long-term disability.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560443