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Exercises

Benefits associated with regular exercise contribute greatly to the well-being of people with MS. Exercise should be seen as one of the key elements of self-management in the condition. There are many good reasons why exercise is suitable and can be recommended for people with MS. Taken together, exercise in MS:

is effective in improving/maintaining a number of aspects of physical, mental and overall health
enhances quality of life, especially when conducted in groups
may prevent functional decline in the long-term
may potentially have a protective effect on brain function
is safe, and the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks
leads to maximum benefits when performed regularly, is variable and is enjoyable

Exercise 1

Exercise 1 Forward lunge. Stand with legs slightly apart. Step forward with one leg, bend the knee and lower your body. The lunged knee should not go in front of the toes. Then push back off the lunged leg to the starting position. Hands may be held to the sides too.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2 Leg curl with the use of an ankle weight to strengthen knee flexor muscles.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3 Alternate heel-toe lifts to train lower leg musculature. If hand support is reduced, the exercise becomes increasingly demanding for balance.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4 Elastic resistive bands are easy to adjust and provide resistance for users at any level of strength and ability. The figure shows an example of how to improve hip extensor muscles.

Exercise 5

Exercise 5 Step-ups sideways is a functional exercise for the core muscle groups of the lower limbs. Note the balance support provided by the chair.

Exercise 6

Exercise 6 A gymnastic ball can be effectively used for a large variety of training purposes such as development and maintenance of balance and coordination.

Exercise 7

Exercise 7 Rhythmic bouncing on the ball with simultaneous handclaps provides a good aerobic workout.

Exercise 8

Exercise 8 A challenging alternative to strengthen abdominal muscles as well as to improve stability of the pelvis.

Exercise 9

Exercise 9 Biceps curl with a resistive band. The wrist should be kept straight and rigid.

Exercise 10

Exercise 10 A comprehensive exercise for the entire arm with a resistive band.

Exercise 11

Exercise 11 An exercise which develops balance, co-ordination and strength all at the same time. Back should be straight with face looking down at the floor while the opposite arm and leg are lifted into a horizontal position.