Physical Activity and Fatigue

Reviews of large number of studies have consistently found that people who do regular exercise (i.e. strength training, exercises in water, walking) report a significant reduction in their fatigue when compared to people who do no exercise.

The reviews however look at studies which include all types of exercise and so, at the moment it isn’t known if one type of exercise is better than another to help people with MS to manage fatigue.  The best advice currently is to try different forms of activity to find out what works best for you in terms of managing fatigue.

Listen below to Ceri talking about what exercise does for her and how she manages her fatigue.

[Insert film of Ceri talking about how exercise helps her and how she manages fatigue] [To be made]

Listen to Professor Helen Dawes talking about exercise and managing fatigue in MS

Heat sensitivity, MS and physical activity

Heat sensitivity is common in MS, meaning that an increase in body temperature can make symptoms worse.  For people who experience heat sensitivity, this can make exercise an unwelcome suggestion.

Research suggests that for people who experience heat sensitivity, doing exercise in water might be helpful, since the water will help to keep the body cool compared with exercising on land. The benefits of the exercise itself appear to be the same.

To learn more, listen below to Professor Helen Dawes talking about heat sensitivity and how to manage it when exercising.