I believe in the old adage “Use it or Lose it,” especially when it comes to a degenerative disease like Multiple Sclerosis but really for everyone.
My friend Jan DeCourtney at the Stoll Foundation for Holistic Health co-authored a book with Dr. Walt Stoll called Recapture Your Health in which they outline a recipe for health that includes three elements: 1. diet, 2. exercise, 3. relaxation. If you are working toward achieving a healthy state, this should be your holy trinity.
In a video for Shift.ms, an online community for those with MS, Dr. Monica Marta gives her top 10 tips for exercising when you have a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, but these tips are good for anyone hoping to begin an exercise routine when coming from a less-able place:
- Keep active.
- Suggested exercises: swimming, nordic walking, dancing.
- Start slowly and build up.
- Exercise through a relapse.
- Don’t push it too hard.
- Train to conserve energy so that you can go further.
- Warm-up, stretch, and don’t forget the right kind of relaxation.
- Incorporate exercise into your life.
- Adjust your posture and body alignment.
- Manage your expectations.
My favorite of her tips? Just dance! Dancing not only works your body but your brain, too. I’m a regular Jazzerciser, but there are some great videos and video games (Wii, etc.) that can get you moving at home. Best of all: it’s fun!
