Your kidneys are a paired set of organs that sit at the rear of your lower torso on either side of your spinal column. When functioning normally, they filter a variety of waste products from your bloodstream, help maintain your fluid levels and regulate your levels of certain key minerals. If you have kidney disease, a regular exercise program can help you offset the effects of your illness and preserve your health.
Basics
Chronic kidney disease is defined as when you have some form of kidney abnormality and experience a reduction in your kidneys' normal capabilities that last for three or more months. Potential underlying causes include birth defects, high blood pressure, diabetes and an inflammatory disease called glomerulonephritis. When your kidneys don't function properly, you lose your ability to easily and effectively remove waste products from your system. If left unaddressed, this loss of function can progress until your kidneys eventually fail altogether.
Exercise Benefits
Most cases of CKD stem from high blood pressure or diabetes, both of which damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, according to the National Kidney Disease Education Program. When you exercise regularly, the resulting reductions in your blood pressure can help you safeguard your kidney function, in addition to lowering your cholesterol, triglyceride levels and risks for coronary artery disease. If you have diabetes, regular exercise can help you control your blood glucose levels and drop any excess weight. Both of these changes can also contribute to the preservation of your remaining kidney function.
Recommendations
If you have kidney problems, the Ohio State University Medical Center recommends that you focus your exercise efforts on aerobic exercises such as bicycling, dancing and walking. In addition to improving the function of your lungs, heart and circulatory system, exercises of this type help you tone your muscles and are adaptable to a wide range of individual capabilities. After consulting your doctor and identifying activities you enjoy, begin your new routine slowly and set a long-term goal of exercising for roughly half an hour on at least three separate days each week. If your doctor approves, also consider adding a muscle-building activity like weightlifting.
Considerations
Additional effects of exercise for people with CKD include boosting overall physical functioning and improving stamina and sleeping patterns. If you push too hard during exercise, you can develop side effects that include dizziness, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, nausea, cramping in your stomach or legs, serious joint or muscle pain and fatigue that lasts more than an hour after your exercise session ends. If you experience any of these effects, suspend your activity immediately, rest and call your doctor or health care professional.
References
- National Kidney Foundation: How Your Kidneys Work
- The Ohio State University Medical Center; "Home Exercise Program for Patients With Kidney Disease"; May 2002
- American Association of Kidney Patients: The Importance of Exercise; June/July 2004
- National Kidney Disease Education Program: About Kidney Disease; June 30, 2010
- American Academy of Family Physicians; "Diabetes and Exercise"; October 2010
