Do you exercise daily? Has it helped your ms?

[mm1527mm]

What kind of exercise? I used to enjoy walking although often the fatigue and heat make me not want to and when I do I prefer walking indoors. Thinking about yoga. I was told it is good for ms. Does anyone do yoga? Have never tried it before.

[Peruzzot]

I've never tried yoga. But I walk a lot and go hiking. I also use a gazelle that I won in a fitness week drawing while I was stationed in Milwaukee.

Many malls also have "mall walker" programs. They open the doors to the mall 1-2 hours before the stores open so that people can safely walk the halls. Some malls also have walker clubs that include store discounts for reaching a certain number of miles walked within the mall on top of support and comradary you get from your fellow walkers. Contact your local mall to see if they have any of these types of programs. Some people also like to bike and swim for exercise. The Atlantic Ocean is only about a 30 minute drive for me so I do a lot of swimming during the summer and walk the different beaches year round.

[mm1527mm in reply to Peruzzot]

Wow ive never heard of the mall walker programs. I will have to call to find out

[Peruzzot in reply to mm1527mm]

I used to be a security guard at a mall just outside of Battle Creek, Michigan. That is how I learned about them. During winter months we would open the doors for the mall walkers at 6am. The stores didn't open until 9. Once all the snow and ice melted outside the doors opened at 7am. First snowfall of the year the doors opened an hour earlier. We always had people waiting at the doors to be let in. The oldest walker while i was there was 102 years old. He walked with a cane but left some of the "young punks" in his dust! The mall was closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's day. But had security onsite 24/7/365.

[mm1527mm in reply to Peruzzot]

Oh wow interesting to know!

[rjoneslaw in reply to mm1527mm]

all mall allow people 2 walk in the mall b4 it opens.

I do exercise I do the peddle bike 10min , elliptical 10min, home exercises from pt, I did tia chi b4 I got sick it did help, I do plan to go back when I don't know.

I was going to start yoga this month but I have pt, ot , and slp on the day it's offered. They also offer yoga and zumba on Sat but I'm not going out the house on a Sat

Everyone can tell when I don't do it, so yes it helps.

[mm1527mm in reply to rjoneslaw]

Glad to hear. I would like to start regularly exercising as well.

[rjoneslaw in reply to mm1527mm]

its either exercise or hear my family every 5 min on what I'm not doing

[falalalala]

Yes, I believe it definitely does help with MS.

I lift light weights (20 lb dumbells max) 6x week and get some form of aerobic exercise (treadmill or walk outside) 6X week.

I used to practice yoga until I started falling asleep on the mat

I do want to get back to it though as it's good for flexibility and balance.

[mm1527mm in reply to falalalala]

I heard it was very good for the muscles. I have never tried it because i am not too flexible lol

[falalalala in reply to mm1527mm]

Go for it!

[anaishunter]

I do yoga consistently - 2+ lessons per week and then at home. It first helped me gain awareness about my body - weak areas, what triggered loss of balance, and stiffness. And slowly but surely I started to regain balance, strength and flexibility. The meditation part of yoga also help take control over stress.

I do one ashtanga yoga lesson per week, one yin yoga. Restorative yoga is also great. I started slowly with a "Wise women" yoga group (read grey hair), and Gentle yoga to learn some of the movements.

I would advice to try a couple of different teachers and style of yoga until you find sessions that fit you. They're all different!

My next challenge will have to be Vinyasa classes where it's non stop movement. I need this to improve my balance.

I also ride horses but this has been hard on my body, but I've yet given up on being able to jump again.

I have an office job and try to not go more than 2 days without exercising.

[mm1527mm in reply to anaishunter]

Thank you, i would like to give it a try soon. Seems relaxing plus good exercise

[agate]

I am sure that exercise is helping me. I've had several courses of physical therapy over the years, and every one of them has helped. I try to keep up with the exercises I was given to do during physical therapy and add a couple of others that I learned when watching "Sit and Be Fit" on PBS-TV. I have several DVDs of "Sit and Be Fit" routines and I exercise along with them sometimes. I have a pedometer and try to put in 1,000 - 2,000 steps/day. Not much but at least it keeps those legs moving. I should be lifting weights too, probably. I have 3-lb. weights that I used when I did those but have been neglecting to do them lately. If some here are horrified at how little I'm doing, I should mention that I've had MS for 40 years and am as old as the hills!

[Hidden in reply to agate]

Little your doing? Seems like a lot to me!

[agate in reply to Hidden]

@Cabycat, thank you! I didn't want to scare those who are lifting 20-lb. dumbbells or doing treadmills and riding horses. I've never been an athlete or excelled in sports with the possible exception of swimming. I "lettered" in swimming but that was long before MS.

[mm1527mm in reply to agate]

Thats great!

[goatgal]

On the theory of use it or lose it, I do everything I can, whenever I can. I have done yoga for stretching, am doing Tai Chi for balance, as well as other exercises (some yoga, some Pilates, some other) suggested by the PT who has helped me walk more normally again after my ankle break.

[mm1527mm in reply to goatgal]

I would like to try yoga. It seems relaxing and good exercise

[kdali]

I’m not quite back to it yet, but my plan to start is upper body light weights and treadmill walking on incline. I hate yoga and am terrible at it, I mostly fall over.

There are a few books about brain and exercise you can read. The last recommendation for brain health I heard, for those with brain damage, was 20 min per day in the zone of 180 - your age...which is consistent with other recommendations for general health.

[mm1527mm in reply to kdali]

I find its so hard with little ones to find time to exercise. Although im trying to force myself to at least walk

[kdali in reply to mm1527mm]

Exactly! I had more to say right then, but baby needs happened 🤣...anyway, as far as helping MS (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, TBI, and other forms of brain damage) that’s a giant rabbit hole you can spend months reading articles on. There’s a point when exercise encourages neurogenesis, but then you have to feed/encourage the new baby neurons with stimulation to keep them around, and it’s best to do different things every day; like puzzles, math, language learning, art, physical challenges/sports, music, meditation and others I’ve forgotten already.

I dove into this 3 years ago when I was first diagnosed, so sorry I can not give you the exact resources to look up.

I don’t worry too much about the challenge part with kids because so far I have learned some German and sign language, as well as reading a zillion books per week, just by becoming a mom.

The treadmill and weight bench live in my house, I just have to get up before she does and make it a habit. Taking her for walks around the lake and to play in the park works too, but the weather here is unreliable.

[mm1527mm in reply to kdali]

Same here, funny you say that because i walked around park today and love walking around nearby lake but like you said weather becomes an issue

[kdali in reply to mm1527mm]

I’ve read studies on that too...nature and brain chemistry, it’s so much better for you than the treadmill and a wall. Plus the sunshine 🎉

[Peruzzot in reply to kdali]

When my kids were little I included them in my exercise program. I'd drape them across both of arms while holding their legs and torso, then use them as you would a barbell. They loved it! They quickly turned into personal trainers from hell though with "Again Mommy! Again!" They didn't want me to stop! After about 3 years old, they got too big and too heavy for me to do that anymore.

[kdali in reply to Peruzzot]

Yes! Lots of moms squat with tots!

[Newlyfe]

I’ve been doin yoga stretches everyday and it completely relieves my muscle stiffness