Sport

Having MS does not mean having to avoid sport. On the contrary: studies show that people with MS who practice sport regularly benefit both physically and mentally. Sport increases muscle power and general fitness. It also improves spasticity, disorders of equilibrium, bladder and intestinal function, and can reduce depression and fatigue due to MS.

Prior to undertaking a training programme, or planning to become involved in any kind of sport, discuss your plans with your doctor and a physiotherapist. It is usually inadvisable to engage in an extremely physical or psychologically demanding sport. Nevertheless, many light-to-medium-level sports are suitable for people with MS, such as:

• Swimming, walking, riding, yoga or Tai Chi.  
• Aerobics and training or working out in leisure and sports centres. This will depend on your current efficiency and capabilities, to which you will have to adapt the programme you envisage.      

Some people with MS find that activity in a sports group organized through their MS society or a sports organisation for the disabled is beneficial. Here are a few pointers to consider when taking part in a sport:

• Never over-exert yourself, especially at the start of an activity session. You should have recovered and feel well within an hour after the training or sports session has ended; 
• Start with short training sessions or workouts and always do warm-up exercises first; 
• Avoid exhaustion. Plan your rest time before starting a sporting activity and take short rests between each exercise; 
• If necessary, tell the organiser or leader of the activity, and your fellow-enthusiasts, that you have MS. Talk to them about the effects of the illness, so they will understand if you have to break off training, or change times at short notice as the result of an episodic attack; 
• Avoid open-air sports during hot weather, and overheated rooms and spaces. Air-conditioned spaces are much more favorable; and 
• Drink plenty of liquids and take sufficient cold drinks before and after sport. You may find it necessary to wear special clothes containing cooling elements. Taking cold baths or showers after the activity is also a good way to cool down.