#182: How excercise can influence multiple sclerosis – interview with Prof. Dr. Dr. Philipp Zimmer

This episode is the English translation and adaptation of my original German interview with Prof. Dr. Dr. Philipp Zimmer, first published in August 2023.

Prof. Zimmer is a sports scientist, neuroscientist and expert in exercise immunology. In our conversation, we explore how physical activity and structured exercise can influence multiple sclerosis, what happens in the immune system when we exercise, and why strength, endurance and balance training can all play an important role for people living with MS.

We also talk about fatigue, cognition, mobility, recovery and the question of how much exercise is actually helpful.

You will learn:

how exercise can influence the immune system why natural killer cells and regulatory T cells are important which MS symptoms may benefit from regular physical activity why aerobic exercise is particularly interesting from an immunological perspective why strength and balance training also matter how much exercise is generally recommended why more exercise is not always better how recovery and individual adaptation influence training how people with MS can get started even if they have not exercised much before why enjoying your chosen activity is so important for long-term motivation where to find exercise ideas and evidence-based resources for different levels of mobility Prof. Zimmer also explains why exercise is particularly valuable because it gives people with MS something they can actively contribute to their own health and wellbeing.

Please note that this interview was originally recorded and published in 2023. Research continues to evolve, so I have added current and internationally relevant resources to the accompanying blog article and link list.

The information in this episode is for educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice.

Links and resources Blog article Read the full English interview and accompanying resources on MS-Perspektive:

https://ms-perspektive.de/en/

Note: Please replace this with the final direct URL of the English Prof. Zimmer article once it has been published.

Original German interview Wie Sport die MS beeinflussen kann mit Prof. Dr. Dr. Philipp Zimmer:

https://ms-perspektive.de/210-philipp-zimmer/