Fitness and Multiple Sclerosis: How Movement Helped Me Take Back My Life
- dfuzes
- May 7
- 6 min read
When people talk about strength, they usually think about how much you can lift.
For me? Strength was standing up again after being told I might never feel the left side of my body the same way.
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over two decades ago. My doctors told me that I should avoid any undue, or excess stress on my system. That it could possibly accelerate or worsen the symptoms I was experiencing. That in and of itself was both annoying (I really like pushing hard at the gym) and stressful because . I didn’t listen to them for long. And I’m glad I didn’t—because fitness gave me back everything MS tried to take.
This is my story. It’s also a message for anyone living with MS or worried about it: Movement is medicine. You are stronger than you think.
🧠 The Connection Between Fitness and Multiple Sclerosis
You’ve probably heard of MS—a chronic condition where the immune system attacks the protective covering around your nerves (called myelin). The result? Disrupted communication between your brain and body, often leading to:
Numbness or tingling
Muscle weakness
Coordination issues
Vision problems
Extreme fatigue
Or MUCH worse.
The scariest part? There’s no known cure. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless.
Fitness and multiple sclerosis are more connected than people realize. Recent studies show that people who stay active experience:
Fewer MS flare-ups
Slower progression of symptoms
Improved balance and muscle control
Reduced inflammation
Less fatigue and depression
This isn’t just theory. I’ve lived it.
💥 When I Lost Half My Body
The first time it happened, I was terrified. I couldn’t feel half my body. From one day to the next, I went from being perfectly fine to suddenly looking like I had had a stroke, and feeling absolutely NOTHING from the top of my head, all the way down to my left foot. My entire left side didn’t respond the way it should have. Walking was weird as hell. Despite not being able to feel anything, I was still able to move everything, which was confusing, to say the least. Stairs? At first, it was a completely screwed up sensation when trying to climb. Walking? I needed to relearn how to walk without knowing if I was walking. I had to simply trust that the side I couldn't feel was still moving. Lifting? Yeah, forget it, that wasn't a thing.. yet.
But I couldn’t accept that this was it. I wasn’t ready to surrender my independence-or my identity.
So I did my usual thing, I read, A LOT, and discovered interesting things about the brain and people who had actually overcome M.S. or a lot of the symptoms at least. Despite knowing there was no cure for it, I wanted to mitigate the negative symptoms. So I did what seemed to be a common thread in everything I read, or assumed from what I read, I trained. Carefully. Relentlessly. Intentionally.
Over time, and without the help of medical professionals, or really a support structure to guide me, which included some deeply uncomfortable moments, I got the feeling back. Not just physically, but emotionally. I felt like myself again. I cannot tell you anything about the medication these days for the diseases, but 20 years ago, the meds I was on completely changed me as a human being.
I learned from then until today that it wasn’t just the gym. It was nutrition, stress management, recovery, and learning to listen to my body without letting fear dictate my limits.
🧬 Can Fitness Help Prevent MS?
Let’s get something straight: MS isn’t your fault... technically. But it could be—just like it was for me. According to research, multiple sclerosis may be entirely preventable in many cases—if you're not significantly overweight heading into your adult years, especially from your late teens.
Studies show that early metabolic dysfunction, particularly childhood and adolescent obesity, is linked to a much higher risk of MS later in life. Two major long-term cohort studies¹ ² found that a higher BMI during adolescence and early adulthood strongly correlated with increased MS risk, likely due to:
Chronic inflammation
Leptin-related immune confusion
Low vitamin D levels
That’s why fitness isn’t just about six-packs—it’s about survival. It’s about setting yourself—and your kids—up for long-term resilience.
🔄 Reversing the Trend: What Helped Me Fight MS with Fitness
Here’s what worked for me—and what science supports:
✅ Resistance Training
Strength training helps improve muscle coordination, reduce fatigue, and rebuild confidence. It felt like I couldn't do anything properly with my left arm or leg, or even face, by way of simply being expressive—but eventually, I did. And it changed everything.
✅ Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
I focused on omega-3s, lean protein, and vitamin D. I cut back on ultra-processed crap. The difference in inflammation and brain fog was huge.
✅ Strategic Rest
MS fatigue is real. I had to learn that resting is EXTREMELY productive—and recovery is just as essential as the grind.
✅ Blood Sugar Control
Living with type 1 diabetes taught me that poor glucose control can fuel inflammation. Dialing in my insulin, carbs, and timing played a big role in managing flare-ups.
💬 A Conversation That Matters: Fitness & MS with Harveel
I’m not the only one using fitness to fight MS. There are many more of us who are using fitness as THE treatment to take control back of our lives.
Soon, I’ll be sharing a powerful interview with Harveel, a woman who, like me, used movement to reclaim her strength and stability after her diagnosis. We’re pushing that interview closer to World MS Day to amplify the conversation and give this story the platform it deserves.
Stay tuned—because her story, paired with mine, shows how powerful the human body and mind can be. Don't forget to follow along with her journey also with the Uk MS Society.
When it comes to discussing this, and this got me in trouble with a lot of people when I tried to write about this 19 years ago, but personal accountability and responsibility are the 2 most important things anyone needs. In my case, I had to not only take accountability for, in my mind, being the cause of my M.S., but also use that responsibility as a realization. If I caused this, I can get rid of it. I'll agree that my first blog I wrote about that, which is stored somewhere even I can't find in the annals of the internet, was angrier and a lot more finger-pointing at myself and people, which could have seemed like I was being unforgiving, or accusatory. But truth be told, regardless of the people who couldn't see past my anger and sadness in the words I wrote, and thought I was victim blaming, the mentality I cultivated led to me reclaiming my life entirely and effectively "curing" me.
🦾 You’re Not Broken. You’re Becoming.
If you take anything away from this, let it be this:
MS doesn’t mean the end of your strength story. It might be where it truly begins. It was for me. You won’t always feel like training. But in truth, that is not an M.S. thing; that is a human thing. Look around at how many people don't train despite needing it! Some days, your legs might shake. Your balance might feel off. You might be exhausted before you even start. The only thing I have to say is when that hesitance hits: Train anyway. Rest when needed. And keep showing up. Keep trying. Keep pushing.
Training doesn't mean you will be able to exert the same amount of force or drive every day. That isn't the point. All you need to do is show up and give everything you can on THAT day.
Your nervous system is listening. And over time, it will adapt.
📢 Final Thought
MS tried to stop me. So did bad advice, fear, doubt that I was saying the wrong things, and being afraid of what people would say or think, or how they may react.
But fitness brought me back. And now, I’m sharing that with the world.
If you’ve been diagnosed—or know someone who has—send them this blog. It might be the start of a comeback they didn’t know was possible.
Speaking of Strength, my Instagram is where you can really see my weight lifting progress. This last "leg day" I had? I ended up squatting 210 pounds for 5 reps, after progressively overloading from 140lbs in the first set to 210lbs in the last. Don't push yourself, indeed, haha.
🦾 Follow Fitness Beast Athletics for more no-BS fitness, wellness, and strength strategies:
🔬 Sources
¹ Munger KL, Chitnis T, Ascherio A. (2009)."Body size and risk of MS in two cohorts of US women."Neurology, 73(19), 1543–1550.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19901245/
² Munger KL, Bentzen J, et al. (2013)."Childhood body mass index and multiple sclerosis risk: a long-term cohort study."Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 19(10), 1323–1329.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1352458513483889
³ American Diabetes Association (ADA). (2024)."Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024."Diabetes Care, 47(Supplement_1), S1–S4.https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/47/Supplement_1/S1/151430/Standards-of-Care-in-Diabetes-2024
⁴ Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023)."Aging: What to Expect."Mayo Clinic.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070
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