Top Fitness Exercise Tips For Kidney Patients

Exercise has many positive effects on the body. It strengthens the muscles, lowers blood pressure, and enhances quality sleep and cardiovascular strength. Exercise is good for everyone regardless of their current health condition, however patients with kidney disease often have a hard time settling on a workout routine because they don't know which one would be ideal for them or how often they should exercise. Knowing how to exercise and heeding the top fitness exercise tips for kidney patients listed below are crucial to ensuring the body gets a strong workout without compromising any organs.

 It is advisable to ensure that any workout regimen you start is done under the supervision of your doctor. Active dialysis patients should check with their doctor frequently for observation. Here are a few tips to ensure that you stick to a healthy workout:

What kind of exercises should I attempt?

Pick something easy and fun to start off. A light, continuous activity such as walking, bicycling or swimming can be great for beginners because they work the large muscle groups. Other activities include dancing, skiing and mountain climbing, although that's not for everyone. Gradually, you can incorporate light weightlifting into the regimen; this is where you do many reps with a light weight as you don't want to attempt heavy lifting just yet.

Is it safe to try vigorous activity?

For a long time, chronic kidney disease patients were thought to be weak and incapable of handling any sort of vigorous activity but research shows that patients who follow an exercise program are much stronger and more than capable of handling vigorous activity.

How often should I exercise and for how long?

Not everyone has time to stick to a daily 2 hour workout routine so tailor the exercises to blend with your free time, and aim for three days a week, non-consecutive where you can work out for at least 30 minutes a session. This is the minimum requirement, but even so, take time to gradually build up to this level.

How hard should I push my body?

Your doctor should be better placed to answer this question because a lot of factors determine how much physical exertion your body can take. The following are general indications that you are taking it too far:

·         Excessively rapid breathing or shortness of breath

·         Incapacitating muscle soreness the day after a workout

·         Dizziness after a workout

All this can be avoided if you start slow and gradually build up the intensity. Your body needs time to adjust to the regimen, and muscles need to be eased into a workout. Try some low-level strengthening exercises to get the blood flowing and the muscles warmed up.

When is the worst time to exercise?

·         Immediately after a meal

·         During hot weather

·         Immediately before bedtime

Watch out for these symptoms:

·         Dizziness

·         Cramps

·         Chest pain

·         Irregular heartbeat

When you get the hang of it, you won't want to stop, and exercise will seem second nature to you. You could contact a fitness trainer to help create a fitness schedule that works for you. Just remember that it's best to start with light activities such as walking.