Exercise

[want2bike]

Dr. Mercola tell us the importance of exercise in protecting our health. Yoga, walking, tai chi or anything to keep the blood flowing in the body is a good thing.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitnes ... =467833898

[DougL]

my wife just finished 5 weeks of physio that included simple exercises.

the change is amazing. she is learning to walk normal again.

the biggest benefit is that she now believes she can do it.

[want2bike]

That is great. Belief in treatment is so important. These doctors tell us there is no way to get better. You just take the drugs and learn to live with it for the rest of your life. If we believe this advice we will never get better. Believing you can get better is half the battle. It must be a very sad world for those who believe there is not hope.

[gymbuff]

I really believe in the value of exercise and my only regret is that I didn't start exercising years ago

[HarryZ]

I really believe in the value of exercise and my only regret is that I didn't start exercising years ago

The proper exercise is critical for MS treatment but there is a fine line in doing it properly. Too little and it won't do much. Too intense and you'll fatigue yourself and that is something a MS patient does not want to do. I believe it is important to find a trainer/therapist who has experience in this area and can provide you the proper exercise to help you the most with your symptoms.

But exercise alone isn't enough. You need to have a good diet as well and perhaps take natural supplements and/or medications that will minimize your symptoms and allow you to best overall results.

[jimmylegs]

agree, harry. i am starting to lose count of the number of people who show up here with neuro symptoms, who are likely to have simple exertion-related deficiencies the docs would miss more often than not :S

[Scott1]

I completely agree with exercise. My choice is Pilates. If it's done properly then the focus is on the small muscles and movement. Any fool can prescribe exercise for the big muscles but I will almost guarantee the next cramp you have has more to do with the little muscles not behaving properly. Ever had a cramp down the front of your shin? Not funny is it. Pilates can fix that but like all things it has to be part of your lifestyle not something do on a whim.

Regards

[jimmylegs]

and where that next cramp is concerned, i bet some little things like magnesium and potassium factor in as well

[want2bike]

This article explains how exercise effects all parts of the body. Very important for health.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitnes ... =476888258

[Kronk]

I truly believe exercise is critical for health inspite what that fraud Mercola says I do power lifting 4 days a week at the gym. I much prefer intense anerobic to aerobic exercise. This approach was also promoted by the British neurologist Ritchie Russell, Professor of Clinical Neurology in Oxford, published a book entitled ‘Multiple Sclerosis: Control of the Disease’. It was called the Rest-Exercise Program (REP). The program involved people with MS doing short bursts of vigorous exercise, preferably in the lying position, such as press ups or weight-lifting exercises, followed by periods of rest. Russell thought this would help by protecting the blood-brain barrier which we know is intimately involved in the development of MS. He reports in his book details of 21 patients of various ages and the good results he achieved with this multiple sclerosis exercise therapy

However there are always 2 sides to the story...The articles below show increased BBB permeability after exercise.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24194479
"...it appears that the BBB may be compromised following exercise, with the severity dependent on exercise intensity..."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1650437
"...These results suggest that short-term Free Swimming increases BBB permeability in specific brain regions..."