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Can
kidney patients take part in vigorous physical activity? |
How does exercise
benefit kidney patients ?
Does exercise have
psychological benefits ? | Do
I need to see my doctor before starting exercise ?
How can I begin an
exercise program ? | Type of
Exercise | How Often
You Exercise
Length of Time You Spend
Exercising | How
Hard You Work While Exercising | When
should I exercise ?
When should I stop exercising ?
| Are
there any times when I should not exercise ?
What if I have more questions ?
Building Strength Through
Exercise
Physical
fitness is very important in today's world. People are enjoying the
benefits of greater strength and feeling better. Exercise keeps your body
strong and healthy.
Yes.
In the past, people thought that kidney patients would not be able to join
in vigorous activity. But now we know that patients who decided 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,
however now red blood counts are higher and people feel more like
exercising and actually are able to do more activity and achieve better
results. Often feelings of low energy levels are the results of a lack of
activity.
In
addition to feelings of increased energy levels, other benefits from
exercise may include:
Þ
improved physical
functioning
Þ
better blood
pressure control
Þ
improve muscle
strength
Þ
lowered level of
blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides)
Þ
better sleep
Þ
better control of
body weight
As
high blood pressure, high blood 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 help to prevent thinning-
bones – a problem that dialysis and
transplant patients often have.
Does
exercise have psychological benefit?
Yes.
The psychological effects of exercise are also important. Patients who
exercise are less depressed and worry less, are more able to do things
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.
Do
I need to see my doctor before starting exercise?
Yes.
Before beginning any exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor.
If you have had 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 the amount of effort you can make. Before
beginning an exercise program, you should be settled in your treatment,
whether is it hemodialysis,
peritoneal dialysis or
transplant.
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 will probably make them worse.
How
can I begin an exercise program?
There
are no general instructions that will apply to all kidney patients. Some
patients begin exercise programs during the hemodialysis treatment with
the use of stationary equipment. Each person's health, fitness level,
interests and available time will vary. But there are some general
guidelines about exercise that may be helpful.
When
planning a directed exercise program, you need to look at four things:
-
type of exercise
- length of time you spend exercising
- how often you exercise
- how hard you work while exercising
Here are
some tips on each:
Type
of Exercise
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 want to look at
swimming since it does not cause as much wear and tear as other
activities. Low level strengthening exercises may also be beneficial as
part of your program. Design your program to be a low weights and high
repetitions, and avoid heavy weight lifting.
How
Often You Exercise?
Exercise
a minimum of 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 your
exercise.
Length
of Time You Spend Exercising
Work
toward 30 minutes a session. You should build up gradually to this
level. Begin with what is comfortable. Start out with five minutes of
continuous activity each time you exercise the first week. Then add one
minute each time and 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?' When you begin to exercise, a short walk two
times a day might be very affective. For weight control, the longer walks
(60 minutes) may be more helpful.
How
Hard You Work While Exercising
This
is the most difficult to talk about without knowing your own exercise
capacity. Usually, the following ideas are helpful:
-
Your breathing should not be so hard that you cannot talk with someone
exercising with you. (Try to get exercise partner such as family member or
a friend)
- You should feel completely normal within one hour of exercising. (If
not, slow down next time)
- You should not feel so much muscle soreness that it keeps you from
exercising next day.
- The intensity should be a 'comfortable push' level.
- Start out slowly each session to warm up, then pick up your pace, then
slow down when you are about to finish.
The most important thing is to start slowly and progress gradually,
allowing your body to adapt to the increased levels of activity.
When
should I Exercise?
Try
to schedule your exercise into your normal day. Here are some ideas about
when to exercise:
-
Wait one hour after a large meal.
- Avoid the very hot times of the day.
- Morning or evening seem to be the best times for exercising.
- Do not exercise less than an hour before bedtime.
When
should I stop exercising?
-
If you feel very tired
- If you are short if breath
- If you feel chest pain
- If you feel irregular or rapid heart beats
- If you get leg cramps
- If you feel dizzy or light headed
Are
there any times when I should not exercise?
Yes.
You should not exercise if any of the following occurs:
-
You have a fever
- You have changed your dialysis schedule
- You have changed your medical schedule
- Your physical condition has changed
- You are under emotional stress
- You have eaten too much
- The weather is very hot or humid
- You have joint or bone problems that becomes worse with exercise
If
you stop exercising for any of these reasons, speak to your doctor before
beginning again.
What
If I Have More Questions?
If
you have more questions, you should speak to your doctor. You should
always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
Exercise programs have given new energy and enthusiasm to many kidney
patients. Working toward fitness is a way of gaining control over some of
the many changes that happen to kidney failure. it takes hard work and
'sticking to it,' but as many patients can tell you, the results are worth
it.
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