Symptoms like muscle weakness, fatigue, and walking difficulties can make multiple sclerosis (MS) very challenging to live with.
Therefore, it’s essential that you get plenty of exercise if you suffer MS. But what’s the best exercise for this condition?
Recent research published in Journal of Clinical Medicine compared several exercise types and other treatment options for MS and reveled a clear winner.
Approximately 70% of multiple sclerosis patients struggle with muscle weakness, which leads to difficulties performing everyday tasks and impacts their gait, balance, and coordination.
This makes it more likely that they will fall, worsen their disability, be hospitalized, or even die.
Accordingly, a team of scientists wondered whether resistance training could work to tackle their muscle weakness to protect them from these dangers. They carried out a review of the existing studies to find out.
They reviewed 12 randomized clinical trials involving 459 multiple sclerosis patients with an average age of 49.7. These studies compared the effects of resistance training against usual medical care or other physical activities like treadmill training and stretching.
Here is a breakdown of the key findings:
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1. Resistance training led to significant improvements in muscle strength across various muscle groups, including lower limbs, hands, and ankles.
2. While resistance training alone did not significantly improve walking ability, combining it with motor control exercises led to gait improvements.
3. The effects on fatigue and quality of life were more variable. Most studies reported positive changes, but more studies are needed to draw a definite conclusion.
This means that multiple sclerosis patients can benefit from resistance training, since it can improve their muscle strength. This is crucial for daily activities, overall mobility, better support, and reduced strain on the body.