MS and meLiving well
Many people feel that ensuring they remain as healthy as possible puts them in the best position to deal with the challenges that MS brings.
Whilst MS itself is unpredictable a healthy lifestyle can have a positive effect on how it impacts on your day to day life.
Positive ways of staying healthy when living with MS include activity and exercise, food and drink, and heatlh awareness
Activity and exercise
Exercise encompasses any activity that involves physical movements with even a slight increase in effort, such as stair climbing, housework, shopping, gardening or decorating. A combination of 'exercise' and 'activity' may be the best approach considering fluctuations in MS from day to day. It is also important to know when to rest and when to pace activities.
Listen to your body - rest when you need to.
Mary
Exercise improves both general physical and emotional health as well as improving fitness. It releases good chemicals and makes us feel more in tune with our bodies and elevates mood. Research has shown specific benefits of exercise for people with MS including reduced fatigue levels and improved strength, mobility and bowel and bladder function.
When people said exercise gives you energy, I laughed. I gave it a try and I've never felt more alive.
Anne
Alternatively you may want to find an activity that isn't too energetic. There are lots of activities, enjoyed on your own or in a group, which can provide you with some gentle exercise and contribute to your well-being. Many ideas are featured in the Something more leisurely section of the Staying Active resource.
Tips for exercising"Exercise when you are at your best."
Trudy
- Devise a programme that works for you either with your physiotherapist, at the gym or at home.
- When you start your program don't go mad and try to do all the exercises at once, particularly if you haven't done much recently.
- Pick out a couple of exercises that you know you will be able to do and build up gradually. There's no point in setting your target so high that you will not be able to reach it.
- Pick a day in the week and a good time in the day - not when you feel at your lowest!
- Modify your exercise regime as you need to.
Some people find exercising in a group can be motivating and fun.
- Examples of exercises can be found in the DVD Move it for MS or on the Exercises for people with MS web pages
Food and drink
No specific diet has been proven to be beneficial for people with MS. However, there has been research into a healthy diet for other conditions, notably cardiovascular disease, which is much more common than MS in the general population.
Research found that a diet low in fat, with lots of fruit and vegetables reduced a person's risk of developing heart disease, strokes and certain cancers and this forms the Government's advice for a balanced diet.
A healthy well balanced diet and plenty of fluids are important for optimum energy levels. A high fibre diet can prevent constipation which can affect symptoms for example spasticity and spasms may be made worse and bladder symptoms aggravated. Good nutrition can also reduce the physical risks of weight gain, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Gaining weight can also affect emotions and result in a loss of confidence and self-esteem in addition to making mobility problems more difficult to manage.
- For more information on diet see the MS Trust's Diet factsheet
Adequate fluid intake is essential to prevent dehydration and is particularly important where bladder or bowel problems exist. Too little fluid can increase the risk of urine infections, tiredness, headaches, constipation, and so possibly worsen existing MS symptoms. Recommended guidelines are one and a half litres, or eight glasses, of fluid a day. Drinks that contain caffeine such as tea, coffee, cola and some soft drinks are best limited, for example to a maximum of four mugs of coffee a day. Caffeine can also irritate the bladder and the same is true of alcoholic drinks.
Health awareness
People with MS remain at risk from the same health concerns as the general population. For this reason it is important to recognise changes in your health and not just assume that all changes are MS related, monitoring your MS for example with a diary, will help with this.
Regular health checks and attendance at screening programs such as cervical smear tests and well woman/man clinics in addition to breast or testicular examination are important.
In addition to the known health risks associated with smoking such as cancers and cardiovascular disease, studies have suggested that people with MS who smoke experience more rapid disease progression than non-smokers.