Cardiovascular / aerobic activities

Cardiovascular activity involves anything where you raise your heart rate and breathing rate through movement.  You can do single activities like dancing, cycling, boxing, swimming or a range of different movements in a structured exercise programme (like an aerobics class).  

Cardiovascular activities are particularly good for the health of your heart and lungs. Doing these can improve blood pressure, reduce the amount of fat stored in the body and can help with weight loss.

Cardiovascular activity advice

Starting a new physical activity or exercise program can mean that you may initially feel some muscle aching or tiredness after exercise but this should resolve on its own. If you are not used to exercising it is best to build up gradually. If you are concerned, please discuss this with your physiotherapist

Some days you will be able to do more and some days you won’t be able to do so much, this is normal.

When you are exercising, if at any time, you feel severely short of breath or cannot breathe, stop immediately and rest. Contact your physiotherapist to discuss this and what you should do about your exercise program. They may suggest you see your doctor for advice.

The benefits of cardiovascular activity

Additional benefits of cardiovascular activities and exercise can lead to improvements in strength, balance and co-ordination. There can be further benefits too, in that the deeper breathing that you do when engaged in cardiovascular activities can also strengthen your core muscles and improve posture.

Listen to Professor Helen Dawes explain what cardiovascular exercise is, why it’s important for people with MS and ways to go about it.

[FILM - Helen] - can't find my clip of this at the moment so need to go hunting.

Dancing

Cycling

Boxing

Swimming

Tennis/Table Tennis

Rugby and Football

Multisport

Walking

Aerobics