exercise

An exoskeleton developed by Harvard University researchers could restore multiple sclerosis patients’ balance and some of their walking capability, according to a study. ReWalk Robotics is moving toward commercializing the system, developed at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. In addition to MS patients, the exosuit should help people with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative conditions,…

Resistance training like weight lifting can protect or even regenerate the nerve cells of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, slowing the progression of the disease, according to a clinical trial. A hallmark of MS is the brain shrinking faster than normal, and findings from this trial indicates that resistance training can slow the shrinking or even make some brain areas grow. Research has shown that physical training benefits MS patients, helping them alleviate many symptoms, including excessive fatigue and balance control problems. Recent studies suggest that exercise can have a disease-modifying role in MS. This means physical activity can be an important adjuvant, or add-on therapy, for standard-of-care regimens. Researchers followed 35 patients with relapsing-remitting MS for 24 weeks. Eighteen patients did resistance training twice a week, consisting of four lower- and two upper-body exercises. The other 17 patients struck with their normal routines. Before and after the 24 weeks, doctors took magnetic resonance imaging scans, or MRIs, to evaluate patients' brain structures. After the 24 weeks, the scans showed less brain shrinkage in those who had resistance training. Some of their cortical brain regions were also thicker — an indication they were growing. It is not clear why exercise benefits MS patients' brains, nor if exercise has the same effect on all patients. Additional studies are needed to clarify its therapeutic effect, the researchers said. That knowledge could help improve current MS therapies.

In a pilot study with patients with multiple sclerosis, high-intensity interval training combined with resistance training improved physical capacity and quality of life in a pilot study of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients — whether or not they were disabled. French researchers at the University of Strasbourg assessed physical capacity, strength and quality of life before the training started, and then again after completing a 12-week exercise program. They divided participants into two groups: one of 18 patients with no disabilities, and a group of eight with disabilities. Participants followed a personalized exercise program involving both high-intensity interval training — a kind of cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods — and resistance training to improve muscular strength and endurance. Scientists used a French version of the Multiple Sclerosis Quality Of Life-54 test — a questionnaire filled out by MS patients to measure health-related quality of life — with five additional questions. After the exercise program, women improved significantly in vitality, general well-being and physical health composite scores in the quality of life assessment, while men showed no significant improvements. Vitality and general well-being only improved in the group with no disability. Peak oxygen consumption improved by 13.5 percent, and maximum tolerated power — a measure of maximum energy that can be expended — by 9.4 percent. Muscle strength increased in both quadriceps and hamstrings. Women showed better improvements than men in peak oxygen consumption, maximal tolerated power, strength in both quadriceps and hamstrings, and quality of life. Both groups showed increased peak oxygen consumption and strength. “Our study has shown that high-intensity interval training combined with resistance exercise training induced an improvement in physical capacity and quality of life. Moreover, this study allowed patients, irrespective of their sex or EDSS [Expanded Disability Status Scale] score, to resume exercise autonomously,” the team wrote. "High-intensity interval training is well tolerated too and can be used in clinical rehabilitation with resistance training, in both men and women with and without disabilities."

One of the earliest symptoms that appeared before my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis was imbalance. I remember turning my head to look at something and feeling slightly off-balance. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but that wobbly sensation gradually increased through the years. Occasionally, I…

So, I recently signed up to join a new and much closer exercise class. The previous drive of nearly an hour each way had proved to be beyond my range. Actually doing exercise when I got there seemed bonkers! But I haven’t been there as of yet ― my…

Earlier this year, I visited a physical therapist I’d seen way back in my running days to devise a home workout routine that could help me address not only foot drop-related issues, but also a routine I’d actually do. One of the challenges I have with PT is doing…

Note to readers: This is the last of a three-part series focusing on the valuable role Pilates has played in my life with MS. If you missed the first two, you’ll find them here and here. This column focuses on…

Like so many people with MS, Mariska Breland remembers the disease’s onset as a combination of strange, seemingly disparate maladies that included tingling in her left thigh, numb feet, skin that felt “too thick” around her toes, foot drop, and double vision. One left her…

Young multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who engage in physical activity can relieve symptoms of depression, concludes a Canadian study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Researchers presented their study, “Longitudinal Relationships Between Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity, Fatigue, and Depression in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis,” at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the…

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) regain part of their balance control after a single training session of ball-throwing exercises, finds a study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Researchers presented their study, “A Single-Session Training of Ball Throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,” at…

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series about Pilates and MS. When I was diagnosed with MS in December 2013, my most visible symptom was a waltzing shuffle that was slowly changing my once-purposeful gait into a wobble (leading some co-workers to believe…

In the summer of 2012 David Bowie’s song “Heroes” became the anthem of the London Olympics despite Bowie turning down an invitation from British director Danny Boyle to be part of the opening ceremony. Gracious as ever, Bowie agreed to a meeting. Boyle had a lot to thank him for. Bowie…

In pursuit of an answer for breathing difficulty The MRI of my cervical and thoracic spine showed no active lesions last week. That was good news. Other…

A new test can show how exercise is benefiting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions. The evaluation of muscle health in individuals with MS, spinal cord injuries and other severe nerve damage conditions is usually done with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other expensive equipment. Researchers in the…

Riding and other activities with horses can help adults and children with the balance, gait, and psychomotor disorders that are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis, according to review of 16 studies. The review, “Therapeutic Effects of Horseback Riding Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” was published in the …

Here`s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Fitness Trainer and MS Patient, Dolly Stokes, Launches BFitLifestyles Website with Husband Looking after what you eat and exercising according to your abilities apparently can help alleviate symptoms of many chronic illnesses including…

Dolly Stokes, a fitness trainer and multiple sclerosis (MS) patient, and her husband, Jeff Stokes, have launched the website for their fitness and wellness company, BFitLifestyles, providing information on how to live an active and healthy life. The Stokes, owners of three fitness-related companies in Fairhope, Alabama – DollyBFitness, BFitLifestyles, and Stokes…

Back in September I told you about Cheryl Hile. Cheryl is a young woman with MS whose goal is to become the first person with MS to run in seven marathons on seven continents. In September she had just completed her first marathon, in Cape Town,…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Inactivity and Poor Diet Are Common Risk Factors Among MS Patients, Study Says For years, people with MS have been advised to exercise more and eat healthy foods. That is advice given to…

Lack of physical activity and a poor diet may be the most common risk factors for poor health and survival in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The research, “Individual And Co-Occurring SNAP Risk Factors,” was published in the International Journal of MS Care. The development…

Several weeks ago I wrote about the benefits of time outdoors and my desire to learn to kayak properly, so  it can be an option when my legs won’t carry me into nature. I recently completed the final of three indoor kayak lessons. The course was actually called “Kayak Roll.”…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPa0bMG3zac In this film from MS Get Involved, Kerrie Newton talks about her exercise regimen and how important it is to her. She explains that exercising each day allows her to be able to stand for short periods and how it makes her feel better emotionally and helps with…

Here, I comment on my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Remyelination is one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of MS. Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to…

Voluntary running triggers a molecule called VGF, a nerve growth factor, that was seen to induce a brain repair mechanism in animals, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Canada report. The findings have important implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions caused by damage to…

I made a trip to the dentist today. What does that have to do with multiple sclerosis, you ask? Stay with me. We’ll get there. But first, let me tell you about a weekend conference that my local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held recently. One of…

Have you tried Pilates to improve your mobility?  When my wife and I tried it, a few years ago, I thought that it was sort of like doing yoga stretches using exercise equipment.  It felt good and, for the short time that I did keep it up, Pilates seemed…

In a large prospective study with validated measures of physical activity, researchers found no evidence that exercise reduced a woman’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Although physical activity is known to have numerous health benefits, it seems unlikely to protect a person against the likelihood of developing MS, the study concludes. The study, published…

It was while catching up with friends  at a favorite Thai restaurant Saturday night when my fresh spring roll reminded me of something: I had signed up for a Beginning Kayak Roll course as the next of my series of outdoor activities with MS. “Why don’t you just take…

Interventions that aim to improve multiple sclerosis (MS) patients’ participation in physical activities need to take into account psychosocial constructs, such as their belief in their abilities and their expectations as to outcomes, in order to succeed. The finding, presented at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS)…

Tripping, falling and bloody knees. Been there. Done that. (Who with MS hasn’t)? But this wasn’t me. This was Cheryl Hile and it was happening to her as she was running a half marathon in Carlsbad, California. Cheryl had been running marathons for half a dozen years when, in…