The Impact of Exercise and Physical Activity On Chronic Kidney Health 

To be honest, I wasn’t a person that liked to exercise. I just got into it in the past 3 or so years. I do it now because it benefits my body and mind. The most important thing is that it creates a healthy lifestyle.

Upon hearing about my chronic kidney disease diagnosis, exercise has been at the bottom of my list. Although for the past few years, I do daily exercise, I still developed a disease. So, I guess I didn't do enough exercise in life or was it a waste of time? Do I sound bitter now? Well, I am, but at myself.

Keeping my kidneys healthy

I have discovered that after getting CKD, it is still important that you still try and keep your kidneys healthy even when they are damaged or getting worse. My goal was to get back to my routine and develop some sort of healthy physical activities that are good for my kidney health.

Of course, the first thing I did was consult my doctor about doing some exercise or some kind of physical activity that doesn’t increase my blood pressure. I do have high blood pressure which is a major risk for the kidneys. My doctor suggested a light kind of running or getting on a treadmill to start out with. He also suggested I lift some light weights, but to be careful not to exert myself. He didn’t want me to make my kidneys worst or develop any other kind of illness.

I was talking to my primary care doctor about this also. She told me that doing exercise helps with reducing proteinuria. I had never heard of this term before. She said it’s a condition where protein gets exerted through urine in large amounts and causes more damage to the kidneys.

Talking with others

I have only been on this journey for a short while, but I have discovered so much already. I have lost count of the many conversations I have had with my doctors and dietitians. Getting advice from other people living with CKD and how they are dealing with this has helped me a lot. They shared with me what is affecting them and how they were feeling. This has helped me deal with this. There is a lot on my plate right now.

I also have cardiovascular disease and diabetes which doesn’t help of course. My healthcare team told me that doing some exercise would save my kidneys along with taking medication and necessary nutrients.

Finding good, light exercises

Doing some exercise helps my body release some good endorphins. To make this simple, we call them happy hormones. It can reduce the stress and tension in your body that has built up over time while you are trying to fight this.

As you know we can include walking, cycling, and swimming for physical activities. These don’t exert much pressure on the body. Walking has become my everyday thing for me. I only do 30 minutes a day, but it helps.

It’s also a good idea to add in some low-level strengthening exercises to increase your kidney health.  Of course, we all should consult our doctors before starting any exercise program. You don’t want to do something that could be harmful to you. We want to take care of our health, not make it worst. None of us are alone on this journey.