Want to Know What Exercises I do for my MS?

I belong to this Facebook group  called Ocrevus MS support and information.  I really like it because I see a lot of people on there asking questions about Ocrevus.  I’m talking to other people who are on Ocrevus like myself. I sometimes post a photo with something to inspire them and share how Ocrevus is working for me and I’m lucky to stay strong with exercise and the gym in my life.

I’ve been on Ocrevus, the twice yearly chemo infusion I receive that stops the progression of my disease. I posted to the group with a photo and a quote and I got some great comments and support. I also got a question about exercise. It was a great question and it was so open ended and I really no way to quickly answer it so I figured I would do this blog post.

What should someone do with a chronic illness let alone MS? First, always ask your physician first if it is safe for you to exercise. I really thought about it and the things that I do have come over time. I am a personal trainer certified by. The National Academy of Sports Medicine and I really value that. I’ve been a personal trainer of years ago before I even knew I had MS. The desire to always train again was with me and now even though I don’t trade anybody else I’m always there for exercise support and I really feel like I’m in authority and know what I’m doing so I can go to the gym and really float through and not waste any energy hopping from machine to machine.

The exercises that I do are a combination of things. I do strength training especially weight training And weight-bearing exercises. I love functional exercises that are what you would do in real life, using compound joint movements; meaning more than one. If you get up for a from a chair, for example, you would use your ankles, your knees, your hips and you use a variety of muscle groups it would not just use one joint like a leg extension or the leg curl.

Those compound joint movements are going to be crucial for you to do any function in real life so I really like compound joint movements and push-ups or chest press anything that’s going to mimic real life.

I also do cardiovascular activity. I like to do the elliptical trainer which I could not when I started I could only do like a minute, and now I’m up to 20 minutes. So I had to have ankle surgery in order to put my foot on the floor. Every time I do the elliptical it’s like a dream come true for me. I also love to do my reading on cardio so I can be in one place and not be distracted and have to stop my reading and then go onto the next thing.

The self-help books that I read fill my mind and my brain and no matter how much you can exercise you can still learn I really love to do this I feel my body with my exercises and I feel my mind with my cardio . The gym is also good for me because I have a membership that entitles me to massages. So it’s not just the exercise that builds my muscles but I also have to relax and relieve stress. I do this through massages. Also stretching. And meditation.

The gym is very important for me, it is my second home. I love being here because I know that I can inspire and motivate so many people who see me there every day at 5 AM.

So that was a great question what exercise do I do. And the answer is not just one thing, but a combination of things.

There are a lot of YouTube videos available where you can do things at homr, but guided. You don’t have to go to the gym to do it. And if you don’t know where to start, look for an exercise video by an exercise expert, preferably somebody fitness certification like myself, from AFAA or NASM or ACE. I hope this helps. And if you have any other questions, please give me a shout!