Helping people with MS improve wellness through exercise

(ABC 6 News) – The non-profit EA Therapeutic Health held a free fitness fair for individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis.

It’s part of their mission to help people with disabilities improve their physical and mental health.

MS is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. It’s known to cause fatigue in those who suffer from it, which can make it hard to get active.

Volunteers from EA Therapeutic Health helped people with MS do exercises and stretches that improved strength, flexibility and endurance.

The event also gave people a chance to talk with others suffering from MS and relate their experiences.

“By exercising and improving your overall strength and endurance and flexibility, then you can do more things, but those are accomplishments, and when you get accomplishments like that, then you feel better about yourself,” said EA Therapeutic Health Director Tom Holtackers.

The non-profit hopes to soon be open on weekends for people to exercise independently or with the help of staff volunteers.

They also plan to create a self-help group that focuses on fitness and wellness.

Holtackers says physical fitness is only part of the wellness package.