Abstract
Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease marked by the presence of sclerotic plaques within the central nervous system. One of the most commonly reported symptoms of MS is fatigue. Inactivity resulting from MS related fatigue may lead to adverse changes in body composition and physical fitness, leading to further fatigue. Participation in exercise programs has been found to decrease the severity of fatigue and resulting activity limitations. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the wellness center-based exercise program and provide recommendations for improvement for future participants. Program design: A wellness-center based exercise program was designed for clients of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida in collaboration with Lee Health. Participation in the exercise program included a pre-participation screening, fitness testing, and 7 personal training sessions supervised by an exercise specialist at the wellness centers. An option to enroll in the wellness centers at a reduced rate was offered once the supervised sessions were completed. Program evaluation methods: The exercise program was evaluated using the RE-AIM framework and a SWOT analysis. The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and Movement Ability Measure (MAM) have been found to be valid outcome measures for individuals with MS and were administered prior to and following participation in the exercise program. Conclusion: Participation in the exercise program resulted in improvements in fatigue-related symptoms and increased ability to perform physical tasks. Further improvements to the program may be made through consistent administration of outcome tools, consistent reporting of pre and post participation fitness testing results, and administration of client satisfaction surveys.