Resistance exercise stands out for easing fatigue in multiple sclerosis
Hippotherapy and coordination training also show promise, study finds
- Resistance training is the most effective exercise for reducing fatigue in MS, especially in longer programs.
- Hippotherapy and coordination training show promise but need more study.
- Resistance training should be supervised by qualified professionals.
Resistance training may be the most effective type of exercise for easing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially when programs last longer than eight weeks, a meta-analysis found.
The study, “Effects of exercise on fatigue and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a network meta-analysis and systematic review,” was published in the Journal of Neurology.
MS is a chronic disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. People with MS often experience fatigue, muscle weakness, balance problems, coordination issues, and walking difficulties. These symptoms can make daily activities difficult and reduce quality of life.
While many therapies are approved for MS, exercise is often recommended as a non-pharmacological approach to complement medical treatments.
“By increasing physical fitness and neuromuscular coordination, exercise training not only helps reduce physical burden but also exerts positive psychological effects, ultimately leading to a substantial improvement in patients’ quality of life,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers examine which exercises best help ease MS-related fatigue
While the effects of exercise in MS are well established, less is known about which types of exercise work best for easing specific symptoms such as fatigue.
To explore this, a group of researchers in China reviewed data from past randomized controlled trials to see how different types of exercise affect fatigue and quality of life in people with MS.
A total of 31 trials involving 1,232 people with MS were included. These studies covered a range of exercise approaches — resistance training, aerobic exercise, hippotherapy, mind-body training, aquatic exercise, and more. Training frequency varied from one to seven sessions per week.
Overall, several types of exercise worked better than standard care for reducing fatigue, with resistance training — such as weightlifting or resistance-band work — showing the strongest effect.
However, “for safety reasons, it is widely recommended that resistance training for patients be conducted under the supervision of qualified professionals to ensure proper technique and optimal outcomes,” the researchers wrote.
Resistance training benefits were even stronger in programs lasting more than eight weeks. Hippotherapy — exercise-based activities involving horses — and coordination training also showed promising early results, though the researchers wrote that more high-quality trials are needed to confirm these effects.
Although exercise reduced fatigue, it did not significantly improve overall quality of life across all participants. However, women in resistance-training programs did show significant improvements in quality of life, suggesting that some exercise types may benefit specific groups more than others.
“Resistance training appears to be the most effective intervention for improving fatigue and quality of life in MS,” the researchers concluded. “Hippotherapy and coordination training also show promise but require further high-quality trials for validation.”
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