If you have multiple sclerosis and fatigue is your biggest complaint, a new study suggests that exercise can help. In a randomized trial of 62 people with MS, those who did eight weeks of aerobic training, strength training, or a combination all reported less fatigue. The aerobic group saw the biggest drop in fatigue severity, about 19%, while strength training cut it by nearly 17%. Both also reduced the overall impact of fatigue on daily life by more than a third.
The study compared four groups: aerobic training, strength training, a combo of both, and a general rehabilitation program. All four groups improved on the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, a measure of how fatigue affects physical, cognitive, and social functioning. The aerobic and combo groups showed the largest reductions, around 35% and 34% respectively. The rehab group also improved by 26%.
Beyond fatigue, the strength training and combo groups walked farther in six minutes, gaining about 55 to 62 meters. The rehab group walked faster. No adverse events were reported, which is reassuring.
But here's the catch: when the researchers directly compared the groups, they didn't find a clear winner. All interventions helped, but no single type of exercise proved superior. So the takeaway isn't which exercise is best, but that exercise itself matters. If you have MS and fatigue, talk to your doctor about starting a program that fits your abilities.
