Woman With Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Develops Her Own Low Impact Exercise Program

I have progressive MS and have lived with it for eight years, my right leg is partially paralyzed, i wear a brace to keep my drop foot from causing me to trip. I also have severe nerve back pain. So it's a fine line that i walk in getting enough exercise and over doing and ending up in bed rest the next day, or a flare up of my leg pain or back pain. I also was having intense leg pain, like my leg was being crushed under a ton of gravel, it kept me awake. So i got a sleep aid, or took benedryl Allergy med with a sleep aid. which helped keep me asleep so i didn't feel the leg pain..I also needed to take an hour and a half nap before i needed to have energy to make supper and clean up afterwards. It's like an empty cup that needs to be refilled by lying down, which also helped with my back pain.
But i need to stress this, you must move, you have to find a daily way to exercise and stick to it. When i first found out i had MS i spent a lot of time in bed due to me not having the right pain med, so moving hurt. So i gained thirty pounds and felt like crap. Well i went to a pain specialist and got on time released morphine and my life changed, i got my life back, literally. The med works on the part of your brain that helps you cope with the pain, not so much taking the pain completely away.

Then during the morning, after the bike ride, i go up on my bed and do 100 crunches, knees up, hands behind back of neck, and chin pointed to the ceiling to avoid pulling the neck. I do reg crunches and then 100 double crunches, when you do first crunch up stop and pump again going further up, pointing elbows alternately to the right and left. Then i turn on my side and move my legs side to side, and up and down 100 times.
Then i get up and stand by bed, once leg against the bed for balance, and use two pound weights in my hand, and step forward and keep foot 2 feet ahead and back foot 2 feet back, and move my arms with the weights all the way up and down and back 150 times. Then i sit on bed and with weights holding my arms to my truck and twist to right then left 70 times then do a yoga twist, pointing hands, w weights, all the way to the back and hold, be sure to follow with your head. then twist and hold to the other side. Do this 30 times. Then i know it's the last thing i do. I go back onto the bed, do a childs pose, then with knees on bed and hands (no weights) i arch my back in a cats pose, then walk hands down and hold, then lying on stomach i lift up my right leg while pointing my left arm out ahead and hold ten seconds, this works your waist. i do that three times each side, then do the whole thing again starting with child's pose. sit on knees then stretch arms out ahead till your head is on the bed. You can look up on internet these yoga position

So that bike plus work out i do only in the morning, it gives you an hour and 15 min work out. I already lost 29 lbs, but still need to lose more. I am in better shape then i have ever been, and here's the kicker, i feel so much better. It gets the blood pumping, takes the cobwebs out. I do this every day, no excuses. Every day and i look forward to it, it makes me feel good. Now mind you start off slow. I must admit there are nights if i overdo on top of work out, that i suffer but i feel this movement is in part part of the reason my MS isn't progressing. Although there is no way to be sure, since everyone's MS is different and you can never be sure one reason is why anything happens. That's MS, it's so fickle it does what it wants when it wants. We are only the passenger.
During the summer i do have a small garden and that really tires me out and i have to be careful. I also water potted plants which expends energy. It's like i have to be mindful of every time i use energy and lie down to re coup or i suffer, so it's a no brainer.
So that's my work out, you can adapt to your own body needs, but getting the incumbent bike was the best thing i did for myself as you sit in a bucket seat and can hold onto handles down at your sides and bike away. I read a book or listen to the tv. or talk on the phone to family and friends, man does the time fly by then.

If you are looking for some good books to read while you are riding your incumbent bike, try 'The Eve Chronicles" which are three books in one paperback book, or buy them separately in e book format. Check out her website by Diane DeVillers http://dide22.wix.com/diane-devillers written by someone who has MS. aka girlpower.