Diet, Exercise & Healthy Behaviors

For a person living with MS, physical wellness involves much more than disease and symptom management. Research shows that a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking, ongoing preventive care and management of other medical conditions not only contribute to overall health but can also impact a person’s MS progression and lifespan.

MS management is an essential component of optimal physical wellness. Managing MS includes:

• modifying the disease course,
• treating relapses (also called exacerbations or attacks),
• managing symptoms and
• ongoing rehabilitation to promote functional mobility, safety, independence and participation at home, at work and in the community. 

An ongoing collaboration with your primary care provider and MS healthcare provider can help ensure a comprehensive health management plan that doesn’t take a back seat to your MS, including — age-related preventive healthcare and vaccinations, and careful attention to any co-existing medical conditions that can affect overall health and lifespan, as well as the course of MS.

Integrating healthy behaviors into your lifestyle can be hard work even without the added challenges of MS. In addition to working with your health care team, recruit friends and family to support you. Talk to them about your goals and ask for their support in helping you eat well, engage in physical activity, stop smoking, get out of the house more frequently or to do whatever you are finding challenging. You may also want to explore working with a wellness coach. Professionally trained wellness coaches can offer you strategies to live your best life and support you along your wellness journey. Find out more in this resource.

View this article from the source