Aerobic exercise - Also known as cardio, improves cardiovascular health. Aerobic exercises may include walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. Strength/resistance training - Resistance and strength training helps increase the overall muscle strength. Balance and core exercises - A strong core helps to maintain a stable body balance, and can be achieved by exercises that focus on controlling the posture and body mass. Stretching/Yoga - Stretching releases muscle tension and helps to decrease spasticity, muscle tightness and stiffness, and lack of muscle control. Yoga has also proven highly beneficial for MS, being a combination of various stretching exercises as well as breathing. Pilates - It helps to improve balance and condition the muscles. Pilates is known to be an effective exercise for treating medical conditions.

2. Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
● Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that adversely affects
the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
● It is a chronic neurological disease that affects the central nervous
system.
● Just like a virus or bacteria, MS can attack the healthy tissue,
namely, the myelin sheath around the nerve fibres. This causes
inflammation, resulting in the brain not being able to communicate
properly with the rest of the body

3. Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
Given that MS affects the brain and the spinal cord, which in turn, controls all the actions of
our body, some of the earliest symptoms include:
● Muscle weakness
● Numbness and tingling in the face, body, arms, or legs
● Lhermitte’s sign (a shock-like sensation when they move their neck)
● Difficulty emptying their bladder or need to urinate frequently
● Bowel problems and constipation
● Fatigue, vertigo or hampering a person’s ability to function at work
● Sexual dysfunction
● Spasticity and muscle spasms
● Double or blurred vision, or even partial or total loss of vision
● Emotional changes or mood changes

4. Some of the less common symptoms include:
● Headaches
● Itching
● Respiratory or breathing problems
● Seizures
● Speech disorders
● Swallowing problems
● Urinary tract infections

5. Physical Exercises for Multiple Sclerosis
Physical therapy and exercise can surely help in slowing the progression of the disease. It is essential to
follow a complete fitness program that covers all the required aspects of exercise, some of which are:
● Aerobic exercise - Also known as cardio, improves cardiovascular health. Aerobic exercises may
include walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming.
● Strength/resistance training - Resistance and strength training helps increase the overall muscle
strength.
● Balance and core exercises - A strong core helps to maintain a stable body balance, and can be
achieved by exercises that focus on controlling the posture and body mass.
● Stretching/Yoga - Stretching releases muscle tension and helps to decrease spasticity, muscle
tightness and stiffness, and lack of muscle control. Yoga has also proven highly beneficial for MS,
being a combination of various stretching exercises as well as breathing.
● Pilates - It helps to improve balance and condition the muscles. Pilates is known to be an effective
exercise for treating medical conditions.

6. Dos and Don’ts for Efficient Exercising
● Follow a complete fitness program that includes all areas of exercise.
● Consult a physiotherapist before designing a fitness regime.
● Design a fitness plan by keeping the symptoms, fitness level and overall health in mind.
● Set a daily routine that incorporates regular exercise in moderation for maximum benefit.
● Include warm-ups as a standard routine before starting any form of exercise and make
sure to cool down after exercising.
● When starting any new form of exercise, start slow and progress gradually.
● Do not overdo it.
● Prevent the body from overheating.
● Try moderations if the exercises get too difficult for you.
● Do not let fatigue take over; take breaks in-between exercises and get adequate rest.
Allow your body enough recovery time on a daily basis.

7. Thank You