The key to managing fatigue in exercise is to start small, and gradually build up the intensity of your workouts. If you throw yourself in at the deep end, and jump straight into intense exercise regimes, that can make you feel more fatigued, and runs the risk of putting you off exercising.
See below for tips on how to manage your fatigue with exercise.
Fatigue and exercise
Fatigue is a very common symptom of MS that can impact on your quality of life. This may present as generally feeling tired, or you may feel it physically with reduced ability to walk or function in day to day tasks or work. When you have fatigue as a symptom it might feel like exercise would make you feel worse, but when performed correctly, exercise can greatly improve your strength, balance, mood and sleep. All of these gains can help reduce fatigue and enable you to get more out of your day.
Exercise
Gradually increase activity
Building up gradually will build your tolerance to exercise and can help you to progress up to higher levels of fitness. Your starting point will depend on your fatigue levels. This may be doing 15-20 minutes of a couple of exercises, or spending 45 minutes in a gym. The key is to perform a workout that leaves you feeling energised, and not overly fatigued.
If you perform exercise this week and it feels easy, then you can try to slightly increase the intensity or duration of exercise. For example, a runner could add an extra 0.5-1km on to their distance, or perform an extra pilates exercise, or perform and extra exercise or two in the gym. If you then feel very fatigued after exercise, you'll know you have jumped up in difficulty too much, and may need to take a little bit off what you are doing.
Consider recording your exercise, on your phone or writing it down, so you can closely monitor your progress over time.
If you perform exercise this week and it feels easy, then you can try to slightly increase the intensity or duration of exercise. For example, a runner could add an extra 0.5-1km on to their distance, or perform an extra pilates exercise, or perform and extra exercise or two in the gym. If you then feel very fatigued after exercise, you'll know you have jumped up in difficulty too much, and may need to take a little bit off what you are doing.
Consider recording your exercise, on your phone or writing it down, so you can closely monitor your progress over time.
Take regular rests
You will fatigue quicker during exercise than the average person, so make sure to take longer rests between exercises. You may want to space workouts throughout the week to give you a days rest in between, or break up your workout throughout the week. For example, perform and exercise for your legs on Monday, then an exercise for your arms on Tuesday etc.
Prioritise tasks
Consider what you have to do in any given day and plan your exercise around it. Plan exercise for your quieter days, or on days you have an opportunity to rest afterwards. Pace yourself by breaking up tasks with regular rests, to give you the energy to get some exercise in.