How to Get and Stay Active Every Day
Hide Video Transcript
Video Transcript
SPEAKER: When you have MS, staying active is not just a nice to have, it's really a must have part of your overall treatment regimen. You're going to feel better, it can ease your MS symptoms, and it can even slow progression.
Staying active has three important parts. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, resistance training, and stretching, which is the part many of us neglect. So important when you have MS because your muscles can be tight and tense and really rigid. You want to make sure you get a good warm up or even better, wait till the end of your workout when your muscles are really warmed up, holding each stretch for about 30 seconds.
When you're at home just relaxing, you might be watching TV, make a point of just standing up, even during the commercials, taking a few minute walk around your house. When you're at work, if you sit too long it increases your risk of things like heart disease, so just stand up. But when you do need to sit down, instead of sitting in a desk chair, sit on a stability ball. You're going to burn more calories, build a stronger core and just feel better throughout the day.
When you're trying to get active or even stay active, the best thing you can do is what you'll actually do. You enjoy dancing? Go for it. A little gardening in the yard? A wonderful way to stay active. Whatever you're going to do is your best option. When you have MS, exercise might feel overwhelming. But all you need to do is move more today than you did yesterday and you're moving in the right direction. It's one of the best ways that you can actually take control of your MS.
Staying active has three important parts. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, resistance training, and stretching, which is the part many of us neglect. So important when you have MS because your muscles can be tight and tense and really rigid. You want to make sure you get a good warm up or even better, wait till the end of your workout when your muscles are really warmed up, holding each stretch for about 30 seconds.
When you're at home just relaxing, you might be watching TV, make a point of just standing up, even during the commercials, taking a few minute walk around your house. When you're at work, if you sit too long it increases your risk of things like heart disease, so just stand up. But when you do need to sit down, instead of sitting in a desk chair, sit on a stability ball. You're going to burn more calories, build a stronger core and just feel better throughout the day.
When you're trying to get active or even stay active, the best thing you can do is what you'll actually do. You enjoy dancing? Go for it. A little gardening in the yard? A wonderful way to stay active. Whatever you're going to do is your best option. When you have MS, exercise might feel overwhelming. But all you need to do is move more today than you did yesterday and you're moving in the right direction. It's one of the best ways that you can actually take control of your MS.
