Dr Gretchen Tips

Dr Gretchen Tips Physical Therapist,
Specialist, The MSing Link Podcast Host
https://drgretchentips.health/

09/11/2026

Do mornings with MS feel extra tough? 😓

Or maybe ANY time you have to stand up and move after you've been sitting for a while?

That heavy, stiff feeling when you first wake up or move can make walking feel harder than it needs to be.

The good news?

A few simple strategies before and after sleep can help your body feel more prepared for movement. 🚶‍♀️

Here are 2 techniques I recommend to my MSing Link members & other clients with MS:

1️⃣ Stretch before bed to target the muscles that feel tightest in the morning.
→ Tight hamstrings? Stretch the back of your thighs.
→ Quads feeling stiff? Stretch the front of your thighs.
→ Calves cramping? Stretch your calves.

👉 Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds, repeating 3x per side.

2️⃣ Warm up for 1-2 minutes before getting out of bed
→ This wakes up your muscles and the brain-body connection.
→ March your legs up and down.
→ Gently kick your legs out and back in.
→ Point and flex your feet up and down (ankle pumps).

👉 These warm up movements help reduce stiffness, improve steadiness, and set you up to walk more confidently in the morning.

Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments! 💬

And if you want to learn more about MS-specific exercises... join my free 5-day challenge! Comment CHALLENGE and I’ll send you the link.






09/11/2026

Does STRESS trigger your MS symptoms?😫

When we are stressed our nervous system goes into Fight or Flight Mode🥊✈️ And when that happens it can make one or multiple symptoms worse!

Here are ✌🏻2 ways you can calm your nervous system & get OUT of fight or flight mode!

☝🏻1. Alternate tapping - Place your left hand on your right shoulder. And your right hand on your left shoulder. Alternate tapping your shoulders for 1 - 2 minutes.

✌🏻2. Move your eyes & your head - You can move just your eyes from side to side. OR you can move your eyes and your head from side to side.

Both of these are strategies proven by research to calm your nervous system and get out of fight or flight mode, ultimately relieving your MS symptoms✨

Which MS symptom is worse for you? Let me know in the COMMENTS BELOW🧡

09/11/2026

My MSing Link member struggled with going downstairs, until she tried THIS ⬇️

After trying a task-specific exercise I shared with her, she now navigates stairs with more balance, ease, and confidence! 🎉

Improving daily activities like this doesn’t always require months of strengthening exercises.

Sometimes, it’s about fine-tuning your technique—that’s the magic of functional exercise! 💥

When you break down an activity into smaller steps and work on each part, you build the strength, coordination, and balance to put it all together.

For example, here’s what’s involved in going downstairs:

👉 Shift your body weight forward
👉 Bend your knee to step down
👉 Lift your ankle and leg
👉 Place your foot on the next step

Each of these actions can feel hard with MS—but when you focus on improving one piece at a time, the full movement gets so much easier. 🤗

💬 Does going downstairs feel challenging for you? Let me know in the comments!

09/11/2026

Let’s talk about a traditional physical therapy exercise that might NOT be as useful as you think it is🤔

This exercise is standing with your eyes closed!🫣

Standing with your eyes closed is a common exercise given by PT’s to help improve your balance⚖️

BUT, this is helpful ONLY if you are someone who has difficulty balancing in dark lighting or pitch black, like at nighttime.🌘

If that sounds like you…here’s how to practice this:

★ Stand with your feet nice, and wide with your eyes closed OR with dimmed lighting 🕯️
·OR·
★ Use a staggered stance, but NEVER with your feet in a tandem stance🧍🏼‍♀️

However, if your balance feels unsteady regardless of lighting this exercise might not be as beneficial for you🙌🏻

INSTEAD, you should practice basic, functional balance exercises.✨

For more MS specific exercises for balance, walking, and strengthening check out my online MS wellness program, The MSing Link🥰

COMMENT BELOW with the word “link” if you’d like to learn more🧡

*This post is not intended as medical advice, just educational tips.*

09/10/2026

Living with MS doesn’t mean giving up on progress 💪. Here’s how you can start feeling stronger today ⬇️

Life with MS can feel overwhelming — like your body is working against you.

Progress might feel slow, unpredictable, or even impossible some days.

But here’s the truth: Your body is capable of change.

And I’ve seen it happen time and time again. 💥

In just one month of doing MS-specific exercises, my clients have achieved life-changing wins like:

✅ Walking through the grocery store with confidence instead of fear
✅ Climbing stairs without pulling themselves up
✅ Standing longer without feeling wobbly or weak
✅ Catching their balance before a fall
✅ Going on a walk without their foot dragging behind them

And the best part?

You don’t need an hour-long routine or fancy equipment. Just short, targeted exercises designed to improve the movements you need help with most.

Every step is progress — you just need to get started. 💪

Inside The MSing Link, you’ll find the exact exercises that have helped hundreds of people with MS feel stronger, steadier, and more in control.

Ready to take the first step? Comment “LINK” below, and I’ll send you all the details about The MSing Link! 🤗

09/10/2026

😬This is going to be an UNPOPULAR OPINION! But, I’m just gonna roll with it!

Take the results of your MRI’s & what your doctor’s tell you with a grain of salt🧂

Let me explain🙌🏻

I recently had a client who was doing SO well with her MS-Specific Exercises🥰

She was noticing that she was WALKING BETTER and further distances🚶‍♀️ Also, IMPROVED STRENGTH as she was picking things up off the floor💪🏻

Then she went to her neurologist’s office, and through her Dr’s manual muscle she was told she was getting weaker😩

This made her feel discouraged and almost like she wanted to stop exercising!

BUT, once I reminded her that she actually is doing really great, and REACHING HER GOALS she felt motivated to keep going😍

This also when a different client received an MRI back that showed a new relapse on her scan🧠

MRI’s and reports from your Dr’s are just a small piece of the puzzle🧩 Don’t forget to focus on how YOU’RE feeling✨

COMMENT BELOW if you found this helpful🧡

*This post is not intended as medical advice, just educational tips.*

09/10/2026

New drug approved by FDA: Ponvory!

09/10/2026

🚨 Reminder: Rest is NECESSARY! 🚨

⭑If you have MS rest is the time where your body can restore, rebuild, and repair.

⭑And something that is even more important is to release the guilt behind resting.

👉🏻Whether you have 1 rest day a week or 4, give yourself the opportunity to truly recover!

How many rest days do you take each week? 😊

09/10/2026

When your MS symptoms are flaring 🤯, it can be easy to think your disease might be progressing. So I wanted to remind you, especially NOW, that it's •normal• for symptoms to flare during seasonal changes.

🌤About 1.5 week’s ago it was 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
❄️ Then, we got hit with a record breaking snow fall!
🌬Sunday’s temperature was a brisk 25 degrees!
🌧 And this week the average will be mid-40’s with rain

Temperature changes like this 100% have an effect on our bodies and therefore, MS symptoms.

My best tip 💥: be proactive. Look ahead at the forecast and if it's predicted to be cold 🥶... implement strategies to INCREASE your core temperature (drink hot water/beverage, bundle up, get physical activity). If it's predicted to be warm 🥵, take steps to LOWER your core temperature (drink something cold, take layers off, meditate, etc.).

Ideally, do these things BEFORE you even feel the effects of the temperature change.

You've got this 💪🏻.

🤷🏼‍♀️ Do you notice symptom changes with the season/temperature changes??

*This post is not intended as medical advice, just educational tips.*

09/09/2026

If you have MS: Does going out ever feel like climbing a mountain? 😅

Things that might seem easy to others (like showering, getting dressed, and leaving the house) aren’t so simple when you’re managing fatigue, mobility challenges, and energy limitations.

From doing energy math (to shower or not to shower??) to planning outfits around your current mobility level, leaving the house with MS is easier said than done. 🚶‍♀️

If this resonates, I want you to know:

💥 You are not alone.
💥 You are not lazy.
💥 You are strong and resilient, whether you end up leaving the house or not.

What matters is listening to your body and giving it what it needs, whether that’s a nice walk outside or a long rest in bed.

I see you, and I’m cheering you on every step of the way. 🧡

Which part of leaving the house is the hardest for you? Comment below! ⬇️





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