This isn’t new news: People with multiple sclerosis should take up weightlifting or strength training.
“Exercise is very important to overall health for MS and other chronic diseases,” says Mitzi J. Williams, MD, clinical neurologist with Morehouse School of Medicine and clinical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
“There are various types of exercise that can help with specific symptoms such as yoga or stretching for spasticity, and swimming for cardiovascular benefit,” continues Dr. Williams.
“Weightlifting can be helpful to build muscle strength for those who have weakness or who just want to maintain good physical condition.”
Study Shows Strength Training Benefits People with Multiple Sclerosis
Never mind the old-school, outdated thinking that those with MS should just take it easy. Lifting weights can relieve symptoms of MS. But it doesn’t end there.
Training with weights can also slow progression of MS, says research which appears in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal (2017).
It’s old news that exercise will not harm a person with MS and improves ambulation, muscle strength and cardio capacity.
The study shows that strength training has a protective effect on the brain as well.
• The study followed 35 people with MS for six months.
• Prior to the study their brains were scanned via MRI.
• Half did strength training twice a week.
• The other half did not.
• At the end of the study MRIs were taken again.
• Those who did the weightlifting showed less brain shrinkage.
In MS, the brain does shrink faster than in those without the disease. Though drugs can help oppose this situation, training with weights adds to this opposition to those already taking the drugs.
Severe MS: Can These Patients Also Benefit from Strength Training?
“If a person has significant weakness related to MS and wants to build muscle tone and strength, a weightlifting program may be best initiated with a physical therapy referral from your doctor or with a personal trainer,” says Dr. Williams.
“It is important to learn to lift weights properly to avoid injury, so any drastic changes to your exercise routine should be discussed with your doctor.”
