If you or someone you know has MS, think exercise. That’s the finding from a 5-year-long study that tracked 560 participants who were considered typical of the MS population: mostly white or non-Hispanic married women, of whom 25% were employed full-time.

Results of the study indicated that frequent exercise was associated with lower functional limitation and better quality of life, regardless of age or sex. And although functional limitation progressed slowly and gradually over time, the authors suggested that increasing exercise helped to decrease the amount of change in functional limitation over time.

For further information: “Exercise, functional limitations, and quality of life: a longitudinal study of persons with multiple sclerosis,” A. Stuifbergen, PhD, RNa; S.Blozis, PhDb; T. Harrison, PhD, RNa; and H. Becker, PhD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, volume 87, July 2006.

Stuifbergen, PhD, RNa; S.Blozis, PhDb; T. Harrison, PhD, RNa; H. Becker, PhD