One Run Can Change Your Day, and Many Runs Can Change Your Life

In the past, it was common for neurologists to advise people living with Multiple Sclerosis to avoid or limit their physical exertion. The medical community’s understanding of MS and its management has evolved significantly over the years, and current research supports the benefits of exercise for people living with MS. In fact, incorporating exercise as part of your lifestyle is one of the strategies that Dr. Aaron Boster holds out as essential to the management of MS when he encourages us to be “5 for 5” in our fight against MS (along with: don’t smoke stuff; eat clean - avoiding sugar-laden, processed, and fried foods, along with supplementing vitamin D; take the most effective Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT) that you are comfortable with taking and make sure that it is working; and engage in the daily practice of mindfulness).

There are a number of factors that contributed to neurologists cautioning against exercise for those living with MS. First, many people living with MS experience heat sensitivity, which can temporarily worsen their MS symptoms. This is known as Uhthoff’s phenomenon. It was thought by many that exercise-induced thermogenesis might be harmful to disease progression, because it was known to cause the temporary exacerbation of MS symptoms in most people living with MS. Additionally, fatigue is a very common MS symptom. It was previously believed that exercise could further drain energy reserves, leading to increased fatigue and an overall worsening of symptoms. Finally, MS can affect coordination, balance, and muscle strength, which contributes to the risk of falls or injuries during physical activity. Some neurologists may have cautioned against exercise altogether in an effort to avoid these injuries. Exercise was long a controversial topic in MS treatment, with some neurologists considering exercise training beneficial and essential, and others considering exercise potentially harmful to those living with MS. 

Thankfully, randomized controlled trials have cleared up the debate, and now neurologists pretty well universally recommend including exercise as part of your lifestyle when living with MS. It is now understood that working to increase your strength and mobility can help in the recovery from MS attacks, and contrary to earlier beliefs, engaging in regular exercise can actually help combat fatigue in people living with MS. While physical activity may initially cause some fatigue, the long-term effects include increased energy levels and reduced overall fatigue. Further, exercise has been shown to have positive effects on mood and mental well-being. Importantly, exercise does not appear to increase the risk of MS relapses or disease progression. In fact, it may have a neuroprotective effect and contribute to overall disease management.

The best form of exercise for MS is the exercise that you will perform consistently. Love running? Go running. Love swimming? Go swimming. Love yoga? Practice yoga. Most neurologists recommend at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.

I ran track and field and cross-country when I was a kid. I periodically chose running for fitness throughout the years that followed, but I didn’t really take up running until after I had graduated from law school. At that point, I realized that running just fit my lifestyle better than anything else that I could do for fitness. I might not be able to go swimming after work at 11:00 at night, but I could toss on my running shoes and get a workout right there in my own neighbourhood. I signed up for my first 5K, which led into a string of 10Ks, and one half marathon. In my current role, working until 11:00 at night has become much less frequent (and thank goodness for that!). However, I am now the mother of a busy 3 year-old boy, so limits on my time continue to be a factor in choosing an exercise regimen and running continues to be a great option for me.

When faced with an MS diagnosis, I definitely worried about what that would mean for my ability to keep running. Particularly because I had been experiencing tingling fingers during my long runs for some time. I had chalked that up to my body prioritizing blood circulation to my legs and vital organs, but I now know that it is my MS becoming aggravated by exercise-induced thermogenesis. I discussed this with my neurologist and he assured me that it is not only fine to continue running despite the temporary exacerbation of symptoms that I experience while running, but that it is desirable to keep up my exercise because it is a valuable tool in my disease-management toolbox.

I have found an absolutely amazing community of fellow runners living with MS. Matt Knaggs, who was diagnosed with MS about a year before I was diagnosed, founded a Facebook group called Running with MS. This group inspires and motivates me every day. It is exactly what I needed. The group has members working on pushing themselves to complete a full mile without walking, ultramarathon runners taking on amazing feats of perseverance, and everything in between. It is a community where we cheer on each other’s accomplishments and understand each other’s struggles. 

Representing Running with MS at the 2023 Sporting Life 10K. It wasn’t a PR, but I ran the whole way without walking breaks and I call that a win.

So what makes you a runner? Does it matter how far you run? No. Does it matter how fast you run? Also no. The fact that you are running at all makes you a runner. The fact that you are challenging yourself and accomplishing things that you didn’t think you could accomplish makes you a runner. I am a proud member of the "Slow AF Run Club”, and I can confirm that you are still a “real runner” if you run below a 12-minute mile pace. 

My next planned race event is on September 24th. I’m scheduled to do the 10K event at the Railway City Road Races. I am using the next three weeks to actually follow a running training plan and work on improving my pace. In the past, I have trained for 10Ks with the goal simply being to finish without walking. However, I am approaching this one a bit differently and actually setting a more ambitious speed goal for myself. I am aiming to complete the 10K in 1 hour and 15 minutes or less. My current PR in the 10K distance is 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 49 seconds (set at the 2015 Sporting Life 10K) - I told you I was a member of the “Slow AF Run Club”! I set a PR of 37 minutes and 30 seconds in the 5K distance at the Forest City Road Races in June of this year. I will need to maintain this 5K PR pace to achieve my 10K goal. This ambitious goal is serving as motivation for extra workouts and more structured workouts (hello interval workouts, fartleks, tempo runs, tabata runs, and dreaded hill sprints).

It’s a family affair - my husband is a runner and our 3 year-old son is interested in running too. Our son participated in his first 1K fun run in June and he is signed up for another one this month.

I recently started following a very entertaining running coach on Instagram (@kellykkroberts - seriously, do yourself a favour and check out her page). She tells runners to visualize putting coins in a coin jar. Each run is a coin. Not all runs are toonies (the Canadian $2 coin, for those of you not familiar with the ridiculous names we have for our currency). Some are just nickels (Canada phased out pennies several years ago), and that’s alright. Nickels add up too. Everything that you do goes toward your goal. And that counts for other activities that support your goals too - getting a good night’s sleep, cross-training, weight lifting, etc. I think that this is great advice for everyone, but particularly those of us living with MS. Some days our MS symptoms get in the way of accomplishing the workout that we are striving to achieve, but any little bit counts toward filling our piggybanks. Case in point, I had to walk during a 7K run recently. I am irrationally bothered by having to walk during a run. But, I had overheated and my body wasn’t going to play ball. At around the 5K mark, I took a walking break, and then I was able to run the rest of the way. This wasn’t the run that I had envisioned. I was mad that I had been forced to walk. But still, coins in the piggybank towards my 10K in September. Viewing it this way helps me to get over myself and accept that walking for 200m didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I need to recognize the transformative power of putting in the effort, even if the result on a given day doesn’t look the way that I want it to look.

For those still reading at this point, I hope that I have inspired you to get out for a run, or a walk, or a swim, or a session of whatever physical activity that you enjoy, because the saying is true: one run can change your day, and many runs can change your life.