Exercise For Kidney Patients: Best exercise for kidney health and managing Kidney Disease

Episode 6: Exercise For Kidney Patients: Best exercise for kidney health and managing Kidney Disease. Exercise for kidney patients is key to managing chronic kidney disease, reducing risk of complications, and improving your overall health. Exercise for kidney patients can be simple - such as walking, swimming, or yoga. Learn more about the impact of exercise for kidney patients.

To learn more about the strategy I used in fighting and beating Chronic Kidney Disease, visit https://www.DadviceTV.com/

IMPORTANT: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Patients should always be under the care of a physician and defer to their physician for any and all treatment decisions. This video is not meant to replace a physician’s advice, supervision, and counsel. No information in the video should be construed as medical advice. All medical decisions should be made by the patient and a qualified physician. This video is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE.

#DadviceTV #KidneyHealth #KidneyDisease #kidney #KidneyMonth #Renal #KidneyFailure #FightCKD

Let’s first look at WHY you should exercise. Studies have shown that exercise, even moderate, can increase your oxygen consumption, improve blood pressure control, and provide better sleep. The right exercise can even improve your physical functioning and abilities. Exercise can also help you in managing your weight, and that is important – obesity and heart disease are critical factors in declining health. And best of all, exercise training has the potential to preserve kidney function and improve your cardiovascular risk factors!

So, what is the right kind of exercise for a person with Kidney Disease? Well, just like your diet is unique to you, so is the right exercise. You’ll want to talk to your doctor on how much and what intensity of exercise you should be doing. But in general, it is recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. And if you are just starting out, try to do this for 3 days a week, taking a break in between days.

The easiest way to do this is with walking. A brisk walk for about 30 minutes will cover about 1.5 miles or 3000 steps and get your heart rate up to 100-120 bpm. It doesn’t need to be all at once either, you can do a little in the morning, and a little in the afternoon. It is recommended that you do not exercise within an hour of going to bed so that you can fall asleep easily. The walk also doesn’t need to be fast. You should be able to hold a conversation with someone while walking. No matter what your speed, just getting in 30 minutes of walking at a speed that is comfortable for you is progress.

It is also great to monitor your steps and try to work up to taking 10,000 steps a day. You’ll want to start off with an easier target, perhaps 5000 and slowly increase it each week until you are up to 10,000.

Aerobic training is also a great form of exercise. There are lots of great videos on YouTube or you can do what I love to do, Richard Simmons Sweat’n to The Oldies! Add a step board and build up your leg and hip flexibility.

Need less stress on your body, try water aerobics at your local gym or YMCA. Swimming, biking, skiing, and dancing are all great forms of aerobic training. As you can see, there is a lot of variety available when it comes to aerobic training.

Those with less energy or just starting out can do something as simple as housework, gardening, going outside and playing with the kids – anything that gets you up and moving.

Those with more energy can try resistance exercise training. This helps increase muscle strength and size while improving your overall functioning.

Now what you don’t want to do is anything strenuous. No weight lifting, no HIT or High-Intensity Training, no fast running. These types of exercise increase the creatinine in your blood which put stress on your kidneys and lowers your GFR temporarily. If you do this type of training, your bloodwork will not be accurate for about 3 days. If you are at a stage where your doctor recommends more strenuous exercise, remember to cut back at least 3 days before you get any bloodwork done.

Now if you experience any of the following you should stop exercising:
• If you feel extremely tired
• If you are short of breath
• If you have chest pain
• If you feel irregular or rapid heartbeats – an Apple watch can warn you of this.
• If you feel sick to your stomach
• If you feel dizzy or light-headed
• OR If you get leg cramps

If you stop exercising for any reason, speak to your doctor before beginning again.