Physical fitness is very important in today’s world. Everyone is enjoying the benefits of greater strength and feeling better. Exercise keeps your body strong and healthy.
Yes. In the past, people thought that people with kidney disease would not be able to join in vigorous activity. We know now that patients who decide to follow an exercise program have an increase in strength and energy. Prior to the availability of erythropoeitin (EPO), people often felt tired and weak and had difficulty exercising because of anaemia. Now anaemia can be treated, and people feel more like exercising, they are able to do more activity, and achieve better results.
In addition to feelings of increased energy levels, other benefits from exercise include:
As high blood pressure, high blood pressure fats, kidney disease and being overweight increase your risk of getting heart disease, exercise may lessen your risk of heart disease. Some people who exercise also develop stronger bones. Exercise may also help prevent thinning bones - a problem that dialysis and transplant patients often have.
Patients who exercise are less depressed and worry less, are more able to do things for themselves and feel better about themselves. With exercise, it becomes easier to get around do your necessary tasks and still have some energy left over for other activities you enjoy.
Yes. Before beginning any exercise programme be sure to check with you doctor. If you have had any heart problems or the doctor is concerned about your condition, he or she may ask you to have a stress test. This will give the doctor information about what physical activities you can do. It is important to establish a pattern of regular physical activities as early in your treatment as possible.
It is very important that you follow your treatment plan. You should take your medicines and follow your diet and any other instructions. If you do not follow your treatment plan, you may develop problems that could be made worse by exercise. For example, if your heart and lungs are already strained by fluid overload because you have not followed your diet, exercise could increase the stress on these organs.
There are no general instructions that will apply to all kidney patients. Some patients begin exercise programmes during the haemodialysis treatment with the use of stationary equipment. Other patients may want to start a walking programme. Each person’s health, fitness level, interests and available time will vary. Below are some general guidelines about exercise that may be helpful.
When planning a directed exercise programme, you need to look at four things:
Here are some tips on each:
Choose continuous activity such as walking, swimming, bicycling (indoors or out), skiing, aerobic dancing or any other activities in which you need to move large muscle groups continuously. Make sure the exercise you choose is convenient and enjoyable for you. If you have joint pain, you may try swimming since it does not cause much stress on your joints.
Low level strengthening exercises may also be beneficial as part of your programme. Design your programme to be low weights and high repetitions, and avoid heavy lifting.
Exercise at least three days a week. These should be on non-consecutive days, for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Plan on four or five days a week. If you get them all in - good! But if you have to miss one, you still meet the minimum requirement to achieve the benefits of exercise.
Work around 30 minutes a session. You should build up gradually to this level. Begin with what is comfortable. For example, start with five minutes of continuous exercise the first week. Then add one minute each time you go from there, adding one or two minutes each time you exercise, or when you feel ready to progress.
There is nothing magical about 30 minutes. If you feel like walking 45 to 60 minutes, go ahead. Just be sure to follow the advice listed under ‘When should I stop exercising?’ on this page. When you begin to exercise, a short walk two times a day might be very effective. For weight control, the longer walks (60 minutes) may be more helpful.
This is the most difficult aspect to talk about without knowing your own exercise capacity. Usually, the following ideas are helpful:
The most important thing is to start slowly and progress gradually, allowing your body to adapt to the increased levels of activity.
Try to schedule your exercise into your normal day. Here are some ideas about when to exercise:
Yes. You should not exercise without talking to your doctor if any of the following occurs:
If you stop exercising for any of these reasons, speak to your doctor before beginning again.
If you have more questions, you should speak to your doctor. You should always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise programme. Exercise programmes have given new energy and enthusiasm to many eople with kidney disease. Working toward fitness is a way of gaining control over some of the many changes in your life. It is possible to gain fitness after kidney failure. It takes hard work “sticking to it”, but as many patients can tell you, the results are worth it.
The UK NKF wishes to thank the US National Kidney Foundation for their permission to reproduce the above article on this web site.
© 1986 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. , 1998 edition.
NKF Controlled Document No. 180, Keeping Fit on Dialysis, written 8 July 2000.
The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.
Page created: 8 July 2000
Last updated: 16 August 2007
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Can I take part in vigorous physical activity?