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If you would like to discuss your kidney diagnosis with our trained members of staff, ring our free-to-call number. The NKF Helpline is available Monday to Thursday 08:30 am - 5:00 pm Friday 8.30 am – 12.30 pm on 0800 169 09 36 or email [email protected]

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Helping people living with kidney disease to move more and be active                                                            

Being physically active can improve your health and wellbeing. This leaflet describes the benefits and considerations of taking part in physical activity for people living with kidney disease. The leaflet also helps people living with kidney disease to find advice and support to help them move more.

This leaflet talks about ‘physical activity’ - any bodily movement produced by your muscles (such as walking or carrying your shopping bags). It also mentions ‘exercise’ - one type of physical activity that is both regular and structured (such as going to a gym class). Being ‘physically active’ and incorporating movement wherever possible into your daily routine may be beneficial to your health. Undertaking regular structured ‘exercise’ is likely to enhance those benefits.

It is important to speak to your medical team, physiotherapist, or an exercise professional before starting any new physical activity to make sure that it is suitable for your individual health situation.

Why should I move more?

Physical activity can enhance your health and wellbeing:

For people living with other long-term conditions (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol), physical activity is recommended to help manage those conditions too. However, whether people living with kidney disease and these other long-term conditions will also benefit is not yet known.  

What if I find it too hard to move more?

Living with kidney disease can be challenging, particularly if you have treatments like dialysis. It is normal to feel that you don’t have enough time or energy to change your lifestyle, and it’s common that at times, your condition may make it harder for you to be physically active. If that sounds like you, consider these two points:

First, we now know that the least active people have the most to gain from moving more – doing something is better than nothing! 

Second, we now know that everyone can move more, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, stage of kidney disease, symptom burden, and treatment choices. You just need to find the right type of physical activity for you.

Is it safe for me to move more?

We have good evidence to support that physical activity is safe and offers benefits for all people living with kidney disease, provided that other health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes, are also stable and managed well. 

It is therefore important that as a person living with kidney disease, you discuss your plans and needs with your care team, before changing how physically active you are. This is particularly important if you are beginning to move more for the first time in a while. For example, if your blood pressure is currently too high, your doctor may wish to change your medication before you start to move more. 

It is also important that you engage in physical activity that is right for you. One size does not fit all. For example, an elderly person who has recently fallen may choose to move more by completing muscle strengthening and balance exercises at home. In contrast, a younger person who is hoping to receive a transplant may choose to move more by walking briskly outside to maintain a healthy body weight.

It is also important that if your treatment or symptoms change, you again discuss with your care team whether your current physical activity is still right and safe for you. For example, if a person changed how often they received haemodialysis, they may need to change when they complete their physical activity to work around any symptoms of fatigue.

How do I start to move more?

There are three basic steps to start being more physically active:

1. Speak to your renal care team
By involving your renal care team, you can ensure that your kidney disease and any other associated conditions are well managed. This will help to keep you safe, and it will also help to make any physical activity feel as easy as possible. For example, if you have uncontrolled anaemia (low red blood cell levels), and you start vigorous physical activity, you may increase the strain on your heart and you may feel very breathless when moving. Once your anaemia is treated, any physical activity you do will be less likely to strain your heart and will also feel easier to complete.

Your medical team can also inform you of any opportunities to support you to enhance your physical activity. For example, they may be able to refer you to a local exercise professional or physiotherapist, or they may be able to register you for a national digital health intervention so you can increase your physical activity whilst at home.

2. Talk to your family, friends, fellow patients, and kidney patient support groups
It may feel challenging to start leading a new physically active lifestyle and it may also be challenging to maintain any physical activity behaviours. A well-established technique to help change and maintain a healthy behaviour is to involve people around you. Sharing your goals and gaining others’ support can be very helpful. For example, meeting with a fellow patient to walk to your dialysis unit together can enhance motivation when the weather is bad. 

3. Find the right physical activity for you
If you are moving more for the first time in a while, you may wish to seek support from a physiotherapist or an exercise professional. They will be able to prescribe a physical activity programme that is specific to your needs. They may also be able to supervise you to enhance your confidence, ensure that you are being physically active in the most safe and effective way, and help maintain your motivation. 
Alternatively, you may prefer to utilise one of the many available resources to support people living with kidney disease to move more on your own. These resources are listed at the end of this leaflet along with a link to find them online.
If you are moving more for the first time in a while, remember to start low and slow. Aim to gradually increase your amount of effort over time.

What if I am already physically active?

Great! You already have good control of your health and wellbeing. It is always worth reviewing and reflecting on your physical activity behaviours. This will ensure that your physical activity is as efficient and effective as possible.

For example, are you meeting the UK Government’s physical activity guidelines for the general population, and the UK Kidney Association’s physical activity guidelines for patients living with kidney disease? For people who are already physically active, these guidelines are helpful because they describe the amount and intensity of physical activity that is required to obtain the greatest health and well-being benefits.

The guidelines and other resources are listed at the end of this leaflet along with a link to find them online. Are there any other health goals you have that physical activity could address? Could you adjust your physical activity behaviours to meet these other goals? For example, you might have been walking regularly and now want to be able to lift your grandchild into a car seat. Could doing some upper body muscle strengthening exercise help you achieve this?

Have you considered what you might do should a change in your personal situation or health occur that might impact your ability to complete physical activity? Completing ‘what if’ scenarios is a well-established technique to maintain healthy behaviours. For example, what if your treatment plan changed and required you to spend more time receiving medical care? Can you plan for an alternative way to incorporate physical activity in your daily life so that you continue to obtain the benefits to your health and well-being?

Could you become an exercise champion, and support other people living with kidney disease to move more? For example, talking to another patient about their barriers to physical activity may help them to move more. Changing their behaviour may help you by increasing demand for physical activity support, leading to enhanced physical activity provision in your area.

If you choose to review and reflect on your current physical activity, you may wish to seek support from a physiotherapist or an exercise professional. They will be able to ensure your physical activity programme is as effective and efficient as possible and will continue to meet your needs and goals. 

Alternatively, you may prefer to utilise one of the many available resources that support people living with kidney disease to exercise on their own. These resources are listed at the end of this leaflet along with a link to find them online. 

Where can I find more information?

•    NKF Website
o    Diet and food are key for kidney patients, on the NKF website you will information about potassium, the Eatwell guide, eating fruit and vegetables and cookery books for healthy eating.
o    https://www.kidney.org.uk/diet-and-food 
o    NKF Exercise information https://www.kidney.org.uk/exercise & https://www.kidney.org.uk/can-i-safely-exercise-with-high-blood-pressure 

•    MOVE
o    Free resources co-developed with people living with kidney disease following the PEDAL research trial;
o    Online videos and downloadable booklets to support patients to move more (resources for health professionals are also available);
o    http://move.bangor.ac.uk/. 

•    Kidney BEAM
o    A subscription service that is free to some people living with kidney disease, depending on healthcare provider and geographical location;
o    Access to live and pre-recorded exercise classes designed specifically for patients living with kidney disease;
o    https://beamfeelgood.com/kidney-disease. 

•    My Kidneys and Me
o    Free resources co-developed with people living with kidney disease following the SMILE-K study;
o    Online videos and downloadable flashcards for patients, focusing muscle strengthening exercises;
o    https://www.leicesterkidneylifestyle.team/my-kidneys-me-resources.

•    PAWR (the Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Rehabilitation Group)
o    A free to access website of the UK’s only group that supports researchers and healthcare professionals to address physical activity behaviours and wellbeing of all people living with kidney disease;
o    Includes a patient resources page (currently under development);
o    https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/research/research-networks/clinical-study-groups/physical-activity-rehabilitation-wellbeing-group/

•    Global Renal Exercise Network (GREX)
o    A free to access website of a global group that fosters collaborative research and innovation to increase physical activity in people living with kidney disease;
o    Includes a patient resources page signposting people living with kidney disease to globally accessible resources, including patient infographics (resources for health professionals are also available);
o    https://grexercise.kch.illinois.edu/resources-for-exercise-programs/. 

•    UK Kidney Association
o    A free to access website of the leading professional body for the UK renal community;
o    Downloadable peer reviewed guideline for exercise and lifestyle in CKD (primarily written for health professionals);
o    https://ukkidney.org/sites/renal.org/files/Exercise%20and%20Lifestyle%20in%20CKD%20clinical%20practice%20guideline33_v4_FINAL_0.pdf

•    Manitoba Renal Program
o    A free to access website of a Canadian renal care provider 
o    Online videos to support people living with kidney disease to complete light exercises at home 
o    https://www.kidneyhealth.ca/living-with-kidney-disease/fitness-wellness/kidneyfit-videos/

•    The Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council
o    A guide about exercise to help people living with kidney disease get back on their feet
o    https://lifeoptions.org/assets/pdfs/exercise_a_guide_for_people_on_dialysis.pdf
Check out the PAWR (the Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Rehabilitation Group) website for the latest information for different resources available: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/research/research-networks/clinical-study-groups/physical-activity-rehabilitation-wellbeing-group/ 

This information was originally written by the Leicester Kidney Lifestyle Team, and was updated by the Physical Activity, Rehabilitation and Wellbeing Group in 2024 https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/research/research-networks/clinical-study-groups/physical-activity-rehabilitation-wellbeing-group/

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The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for the information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.