Use it or Lose it

Many people with an illness that affects mobility are advised that they must keep active and exercise or they may find their mobility capacity lessens. I have Multiple Sclerosis - MS (diagnosed in February 2010), and I have been told by my neurologist and others that it is important to do more to retain my ability to do more.

My neuro said I should walk for half and hour every other day, the MS Society advise clients to go to exercise classes, or just keep active. The MS Society in SA has exercise classes for clients. I have attended classes in the past and intend to do so again soon.

I found connecting with other people living with MS was wonderful. These people know what I'm trying to deal with, because they live with it themselves. I don't have to explain how MS fatigue feels, because they've felt it too.

I've begun a program at home of doing Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus exercises, aiming at doing half an hour every day. This has been going well for almost one month. I started out doing as much as I could, which was only a few minutes at the start. Now I do half an hour of Wii Fit almost every day.

I don't know if this is actually doing me good physically, but I feel good in myself to be doing something to try to help myself. It feels empowering, and when your body is not working well for you, it's great to have something that makes you feel good about yourself.

My personal Wii Fit program is one I came up with myself - I do things that are easy, like deep breathing, and exercises that at harder such as Bird's Eve View. This exercise involves flapping arms like wings and landing on targets. It's fun but tiring!

The MS Society SA has done a trial of Wii Fit recently and I'm hoping to get a copy of their report on it soon. They had Physical Therapy students work with clients at exercise classes, trying out various Wii Fit exercises to see which had the most benefit for the people with MS.

I have written and published online two articles about exercise. They are here:

Exercise must be habit

and Use it or Lose it

This Use it or Lose it mantra isn't just for people with MS. Lots of people are affected by illness or disability and could benefit from increasing their level of exercise. It's important to consult with your medical advisers before you do too much though. Some people could do damage by doing too much exercise, or doing the wrong kind of exercise.

People without illness could benefit from having an exercise program too. It is too easy to just chill out in front of the TV and do nothing. A short walk after dinner instead would have health benefits and increase your sense of inner well being.

It's up to you - Use It or Lose It!