A Calgary study shows that exercise can help people with multiple sclerosis.

The findings are the opposite of what people with the disease have been told for years.

It was believed that exercising would make their condition worse because fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of the disease.

But a small study by the University of Calgary found exercising actually gave people with MS more energy.

Kimberly Carcary is heading up the study. She says the women in her program all noticed significant changes in their day-to-day life and reported improvement in social, cognitive, and physical function.

Carcary says a temporary increase in symptoms is sometimes reported at the beginning of an exercise program but it is only temporary.

Her results found a decrease in the physical impact of fatigue from 21 to 33 percent.

Improvements in social and cognitive impact ranged from 21 to 42 percent.

Source: Calgary.ctv.ca © 2007 All Rights Reserved. (28/02/07)