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 For people with MS, healthy living can have many different meanings: for some it means simply refraining from unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol; for others, it includes an array of activities and practices that promote fitness and overall well-being. True healthy living is a combination of including those things that are beneficial to good health, whilst excluding those that are harmful.
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Exercise
Physiotherapy and regular exercise can be helpful in keeping as fit as possible. You and your doctor will probably want to discuss what therapy or exercise programme would be of benefit. It might involve having physiotherapy on a fairly regular basis or doing specific exercises at home. Others have found activities such as swimming, yoga and horseback riding to be helpful. Any exercise that you enjoy and are able to do comfortably will be beneficial. Besides maintaining good muscle tone, exercise can be a great way to release tension and to relax. Your local or national MS society may offer recreation or exercise programmes that would be helpful, or recommend facilities or health personnel to provide these activities.
Diet
Over the years, a number of diets for MS have been proposed, which is probably only natural for a disease with no known cause or cure. Whilst some of the suggested diets contradict each other, it does make sense to have a nutritionally balanced diet that will ensure you have all the required vitamins and minerals. Some people find that a diet low in animal fats and high in polyunsaturated fats is helpful to them. Please see the section on Alternative Therapies Used by People with MS from MS The Guide (available to buy - or download as a free PDF) as well. It would be wise to discuss any changes in your own diet with your physician or dietician.
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