Exercise Programs for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Bard Atkinson^* and Dino Samuel
^*Correspondence: Bard Atkinson, Christiana Care Kidney Transplant Program, 4735 Ogletown-Stanton Road, MAPII, Suite 2224, Newark, Delaware 19713, USA, Email:

Keywords

DCKD • Muscle cramps • Exercise

Introduction

More recently, studies have looked into the feasibility of increasing physical activity levels in individuals with CKD stages 3 to 4 to delay the rate of decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate. Individuals with chronic kidney disease should engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week, according to the newest Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease lifestyle section. Registered Dietician Nutritionists (RDNs), particularly those with experience in renal nutrition and nephrology, are in a position to assist their patients with recommendations for raising their physical activity levels, in addition to counselling CKD patients on nutrition adjustments. The RDN should start by determining the CKD patient's activity level utilising the initial nutritional assessment. A Low Physical Activity Questionnaire was created to assess and can also be used to track physical activity [1-3].

The RDN must ensure that the recommended workouts are tailored to the CKD patient's present level of physical capacity. Both the RDN and the CKD patient may find it difficult to combine an exercise regimen with dietary changes. Patients with CKD can improve their overall health and well-being with ongoing follow-up monitoring and changes along the way. The patient education handout that goes along with it is meant to give doctors a place to start when it comes to initiating an exercise programme with their CKD patients [4].

Why do you need to exercise?

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can benefit from regular exercise just as much as those who do not. If you participate in activities that build your muscles, bones, and joints, your health will improve. This can help you maintain your balance and coordination, preventing falls and preserving your independence as you age. Improved blood pressure and diabetes control are two further advantages of physical activity. When the kidneys are injured, these diseases might worsen, and you may need to take extra drugs in addition to the ones you're already taking. Regular exercise can help decrease blood pressure and protect the kidneys from additional damage. Similarly, exercise helps to reduce blood sugar levels throughout the day and night while also reducing kidney stress [5].

What exercises are the most beneficial?

Aerobic, strength, and flexibility activities are examples of structured activities. Aerobic activities are those in which you consume a lot of oxygen. Walking, running, stair climbing, swimming, water walking and water aerobics, gardening, dancing, bicycling, and chair exercises are examples of these forms of workouts. On devices like a treadmill, stationary cycle, or elliptical trainer, you can do other forms of aerobic activities. If you haven't been exercising frequently, begin cautiously and gradually increase your pace to a level that you are comfortable with each day. Ideally, you should exercise five times each week (aerobic, strengthening, or flexibility activities). If you can make exercise a habit of doing it at the same time every day, it will become less of a chore and more of a routine of living a healthy lifestyle, similar to eating your meals [6].

Stretching exercises, for example, should be done at the start and finish of your session, followed by either an aerobic activity like walking or strength training like lifting handheld weights. When exercising, the most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. It's important to remember that exercising on a regular basis is healthier than not exercising at all. However, if you have any of the following symptoms, stop what you're doing and get medical attention:

• Muscle cramps or joint pain

• Pain in the upper part of your body including your face and jaw

• Problems seeing, speaking, or trouble swallowing

• Sudden weakness in your arms or legs

Conclusion

Chronic kidney disease should not hold you back from living life to its’ fullest. It may mean that you will need to put forth more effort to improve your health and exercise regularly. You may want to seek the support from family and friends to help you along the way. Often, you may need the encouragement of others to help motivate you to continue and stay on course. Do not hesitate to ask those close to you for their help.

Conflict of Interest

There are no conflicts of interest by author.

References

1. Flesher, Mary, Paula Woo, Anthony Chiu and Ashley Charlebois, et al. "Self-management and biomedical outcomes of a cooking, and exercise program for patients with chronic kidney disease." J Ren Nutr 21 (2011): 188-195.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

2. Clyne, Naomi. "The importance of exercise training in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease." Clin Nephrol 61 (2004): S10-S13.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

3. Kosmadakis, George C., A. Bevington, A.C. Smith, and E.L. Clapp, et al. "Physical exercise in patients with severe kidney disease." Nephron Clin Pract 115 (2010): c7-c16.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

4. Moinuddin, Irfan, and David J. Leehey. "A comparison of aerobic exercise and resistance training in patients with and without chronic kidney disease." Adv Chronic Kidney Dis 15 (2008): 83-96.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

5. Pechter, Ülle, Mai Ots, Siiri Mesikepp and Kersti Zilmer, et al. "Beneficial effects of water-based exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease." Int J Rehab Res 26 (2003): 153-156.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at

6. Howden, Erin J., Robert G. Fassett, Nicole M. Isbel and Jeff S. Coombes. "Exercise training in chronic kidney disease patients." Sports Med 42 (2012): 473-488.

Google Scholar, Crossref, Indexed at