Walking

Walking, stepping, standing

For lots of people with MS walking is difficult and it can be effortful too.  Here we talk about ways to use walking as an exercise for people who are able to walk for a few minutes at a time, but also how you can use stepping, standing and arm jogging as activities to raise your heart beat whether you are on your feet or largely wheelchair based.

Walking

If you are able to walk for a few minutes at a time, walking in and of itself can act as a cardiovascular activity.  There are a number of ways that walking can be made easier, or more difficult. 

Walking on a flat, even surface and using a walking aid can make walking easier for some people. 

To make walking more challenging, you might want to focus on trying to walk a little further, but with regular rests, or trying to walk on more challenging terrain – e.g. on grass, cambered ground or up small inclines.

Water Walking

If walking on land is challenging for you – you might find that you can walk more easily in water.  Walking in the water is a really good activity for your legs.  You should feel lighter in the water and you’ll probably move better.  Water produces a type of resistance so you have to work a bit to move against it which is helpful if you are wanting to work on your strength.

Marching on spot, step ups, side stepping

If walking is challenging but you can stand and step, marching on the spot, doing a few step ups on a single step or side stepping can act as a cardiovascular activity.  When you are doing step ups or side stepping make sure you have a solid surface nearby that you can hold onto if needed.

Activities at the gym

We’ve already covered boxing and cycling – which if you wanted to, could be done in the gym. 

If you like this space to go and be active in, there are a range of other cardiovascular activities you can do there including rowing, cross trainer, steppers and weights. While weights are used primarily with strengthening in mind, the use of weights quick will also have a cardiovascular effect.

In most gyms, at least some of the gym equipment is wheelchair accessible, and there are lots of options for seated exercise.  If you are able to exercise in standing, make sure you have a full gym induction with a trainer and seek assistance when initially trying out a new piece of equipment – especially one which has moving platforms like the treadmill or cross trainer.