Regular, moderate exercise is now recognised as an important element in
maintaining general health and well being.
In the past, people with MS
were advised to avoid exertion. It was felt that as many people with MS
experienced fatigue and found their symptoms worsened when hot, it was best to
avoid activities that could be seen as tiring.
However, research has
demonstrated that the reverse is true and that regular exercise has been shown
to improve the condition and mood of people with MS at all levels of ability. It
is therefore concerning that survey results continue to show that only around
half of people with MS exercise regularly, often due to lack of opportunity or
access to facilities.
To encourage more people with MS to take part in
regular exercise, the MS Trust have launched Stay Active, a new section of our
website. With over 50 activities, from angling to yoga, the Stay Active pages
provide information about sports and other leisure activities and inspire people
to try something new.
As well as a directory of sports and links to more
leisurely activities such as gardening and photography, the pages include a
'Tried and Tested' section of personal experiences from people with MS for a
number of sports.
To mark MS Awareness 2008, the MS Trust is running
a competition!
If you have MS and you take part in a sport or other
activity, here's your chance to spread the word! Write an article about your
sporting activity (no more than 500 words) and send it to us before 31 May 2008.
We'll publish a selection on the Stay Active pages and three people will win a
Cool Zone vest (kindly donated by Jackson Technical Solutions Ltd http://www.jt-solutions.com).
To enter the competition,
visit our website http://www.mstrust.org.uk.
About Multiple
Sclerosis
MS affects approximately 85,000 people in the UK and two
thirds of these are women. MS is most often diagnosed when people are in their
20s and 30s and is the most common neurological condition affecting young
people.
In MS, damage or scarring occurs to the myelin sheath - a layer
of fatty protein that protects the nerves in the same way that insulating
material protects an electric wire. This damage disrupts the way in which nerve
impulses are carried to and from the brain and leads to a range of symptoms,
including fatigue, bladder and bowel problems, difficulties with walking and
pain or abnormal sensations.
MS is a complex and unpredictable
condition, which varies from person to person and does not follow a set pattern.
Symptoms can come and go from day to day but there can also be relapses followed
by periods of complete or partial remission.
About the MS Trust
The MS Trust is a charity which works with and for the 85,000 people
in the UK with MS. Our vision is to enable people with MS to live their lives to
the full. We provide:
- information that is tailored to what people want
to know
- education for health professionals about what people with MS need
- research into better management of MS
- support for anyone affected by
MS
MS
Trust
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