Health & Wellness
Gradually moving more and sitting less an easier place to start than formal exercise programs, U of A researchers find.
Being physically active is important for people managing multiple sclerosis, but formal exercise isn’t the only way, say University of Alberta researchers.
Gradually fitting more movement into their everyday lives is more attainable for people struggling with mobility, fatigue, depression and other symptoms of the nerve disease, said Patricia Manns, a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
“Sometimes there’s a belief that if exercise isn’t done as a formal workout, it doesn’t count, but sitting less and moving more, taking more steps or standing more is much more feasible as an easier place to start,” she said.
That message is proving helpful in encouraging people with MS to be more active and improve their quality of life, according to a new study co-authored by Manns.
The research team monitored 40 partic...