Top tips for staying active when you have MS


18 February 2025

Exercise can be an important part of maintaining good health and wellbeing for people with MS. There is plenty of evidence that it can help with MS symptoms, like fatigue or poor mental health, but it can also help with general quality of life. However, getting started with exercise and keeping on going is not always easy.  

How do you get motivated to get some more movement in your life? We asked some people with MS and some MS experts for their top tips. 

Do it your way

Sometimes we overcomplicate things and think we have to pay for a gym membership or sign up with a personal trainer to start moving. Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym or going out for a run; it could be something as simple as housework or a walk in nature.  

Be kind to yourself. Do what you can but learn your limits. I like short walks with my dog and doing gardening

 - Caroline MS Trust Facebook group 

Make it part of your daily routine

You're more likely to stick with it if it’s easy. You could set up some movement stations in your house. For example, do squats or heel raises when you are brushing your teeth. Perhaps some arm jogging every time there are adverts while you sit and watch your favourite show.  Pop the kettle on and do a spot of balance work while you wait for it to boil.  

Exercise shouldn’t feel like punishment

How many times have you heard someone say "Oh I ate so much junk yesterday, today I better go and work hard in the gym to make up for that"? Often, we have been taught to think about exercise as a chore or a punishment for bad habits.  Try to reframe the words you use to think around exercise to make it less negative. 

Instead of saying I have to go to the gym, I have to go out for a walk, I have to eat this, try changing it to: I choose to or I get to. So not, I have to go for a walk. But I get to go for a walk, I can go for a walk, my body can go for a walk, and I might not get very far. But I can go for that bit of a walk. And I'm going to choose to do that. 

– Charlie Peel Healthcare partnerships lead for Overcoming MS

Short can be sweet

Just a minute of arm jogging with a bit of gusto will improve your heart rate and get you breathing deeper. There is growing evidence to show that doing short bursts of exercise, rather than one great long burst, will improve fitness. This is sometimes referred to as "exercise snacking" For people with MS, when fatigue and heat can be a factor, exercising like this can really help.  

Focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Set yourself very small achievable and measurable goals. If there’s something you used to do that MS stops you from doing, find a new thing to do. Just keep moving, often and for short amounts of time, they all count.

 - Deb MS Trust Facebook group 

Pace yourself and be in it for the long run

And by long run, we don’t just mean marathons! It takes time to find a way of moving you like, that you can build into your daily life and stick with it. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t notice a difference straight away, it takes time to build up strength and stamina. Take one day at a time and listen to your body. Like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  

Make sure you don’t overdo it, especially if you’re starting to exercise after a break or exercising is completely new to you. Listen to your body when it tells you to stop. You will get to learn how much you can manage in one go without leaving yourself exhausted. And remember that other important activities like work, cooking or parenting, take up energy too. Leave yourself enough in the tank to get through the day.  

It’s quite natural that on some days you’ll have more energy than others, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t manage as much as you did yesterday.  

Get the experts in

Get a physio to identify areas of muscle weakness and suggest a programme of strengthening exercises. Do them regularly and it will help you to keep what you have, for longer. 

- Alf, MS Trust Facebook group 

 

Getting an appointment with a physio or a personal trainer to get some help on how to get started can be a great idea. Or why not check our website out for more tips on exercises   

Check what is on offer in your area

I joined my local neuro centre. They've really helped to keep me active. The staff and volunteers are supportive and encouraging and the wide variety of activities available are accessible for all abilities. 

- Member of the MS Trust Facebook group 

 

MS Therapy Centres are local charities that provide a range of non-drug therapies for people with multiple sclerosis. Some of them will offer exercise classes. 

Or you could get involved in local charities or organisations such as parkrun. Volunteering as a race marshal could be a great alternative to running that still gets you out and involved. 

Start volunteering. Gives you a reason to get up and have something else to think about.

- Isobel MS Trust Facebook group  

Stay cool

Everyone can feel lethargic in hot or humid weather, but with MS the effect is often exaggerated. Try using a fan or a cold water spray when exercising or have a cool bath before you start.

Remember to breathe!

It might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised by the number of people who hold their breath when they exercise. The MS Trust has a whole set of breathing exercises help to build your lung capacity and support comfortable breathing.

Set up a nudge

Have a trigger to remind you to exercise. Maybe when the adverts or weather come on the television, or while waiting for the kettle to boil. Have a certain time of day that works better than others? Some people have more energy in the morning, others during the day or the evening. Set a reminder on your phone for when your optimum movement time is.  

Listen to your body

You are the expert when it comes to your MS, but it can take some trial and error to figure out when to push and when to hold back.

Learn your limits so you don't over work and end up flooring yourself to the point where you can't do anything. Having said that, it took me years to work this out and I still mess it up sometimes! 

– Amy MS Trust Facebook group 

Find out more

MS Trust resources on exercise 

Blogs from people with MS on exercise

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