This is what we learned:
Exercise
More than a third of respondents exercise between one and three hours every week and nearly a third dedicate at least four hours per week to exercise. Although this is promising, nearly a third of respondents exercise less than an hour a week and a number of people are not exercising at all.
Leisure and physical activities
People responding to our survey engage in a wide range of activities, with the majority enjoying aerobic exercise, physiotherapy and walking. While less popular among respondents, swimming, weight training and yoga are other activities enjoyed by some people with MS.
Travel
Travelling appears to be difficult for many people with MS. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents report that they travel less since being diagnosed with MS and nine per cent no longer travel.
Illness prevention
Based on survey results, it appears that some people with MS see performing certain preventive medical examinations as important to healthy living. The box provides details on the most commonly performed preventive health measures as reported by survey respondents. These results underline the important role of healthcare professionals in encouraging people with MS to perform relevant examinations on a regular basis.
The results of the survey indicate that many people with MS participate in a number of behaviours that promote health, while some remain less active. The tendency to choose healthy behaviours may depend on one’s personality, lifestyle and way of dealing with MS, among other factors.
Preventive Health Measures
Dental examination 73%
Vision test 58%
Blood pressure screening 55%
Cervical smear 48%
Breast examination 47%
Cholesterol screening 34%
Bone density test 14%
Cholesterol screening 6%
Prostrate cancer screening 5%
Amount of weekly exercise
Different types of activities and exercise
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