According to the NHS Choices website produced by England's National Health Service, multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a neurological condition that disrupts the transfer of messages from nerve fibers around your body to your brain, which is the process that controls your movements and functions such as vision. Fatigue is a common symptom of MS and exercise is recommended as a way of reducing it and helping you manage the overall condition.
About Multiple Sclerosis
MS affects your central nervous system--more specifically, the myelin sheaths that protect your nerve fibers and help send messages to your brain, says the NHS Choices website. The damage to these sheaths means that, if you suffer from MS, messages don't reach your brain as easily. The condition is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, and is more common in women. While not terminal, MS can be disabling--depending on the severity--and may result in a shorter life for some people.
Fatigue and MS
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS, and it may develop as a result of other symptoms--such as muscle weakness and balance issues--or as a result of your brain working harder to receive messages from damaged nerve fibers, says the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Exercise sounds like a strange thing to recommend to combat fatigue, but the Multiple Sclerosis Society says keeping fit and improving your strength can help reduce the severity of this symptom and improve your mood and general sense of wellness.
Avoiding Fatigue During Exercise
Be careful not to overdo it--try starting slowly until you know at what point fatigue is likely to hit--and always rest after exercising, says the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Good posture when exercising can help your body work more efficiently and, therefore, reduce your feelings of fatigue. Yoga has also been found to help with fatigue in some MS sufferers. Some people with MS are sensitive to heat, says the Multiple Sclerosis Society. If this is the case for you, try to avoid overheating when exercising as this can make your fatigue worse. Try exercising in short bursts with regular water breaks in between, work out in a well-ventilated room, and take a cool shower before and after a workout session to help you exercise for longer and to speed up recovery.
Symptoms of MS
MS affects people differently, but NHS Choices says that most people will experience at least one of the following, in some part of the body: tingling and numbness, muscle weakness and tightness, blurred vision, and balance and mobility problems. As well as these common symptoms, fatigue is a symptom experienced by most MS sufferers, and can make the other symptoms worse. Depending on the nature of your condition, your symptoms may appear and steadily worsen over time, or you may have relapses of the symptoms as well as periods of remission.
