Get regular exercise

Regular exercise is a great way to:

• Make your heart stronger.
• Make your lungs more efficient.
• Keep your blood vessels open.
• Fight fatigue (really!).
• Keep you thinner.
• Reduce the chance of falling and hurting a muscle or bone.
• Sweat off some of the excess water you might have in your body.
• Help you relax.

Try to be active for part of each day if you can—whether it's gardening, yoga, swimming, walking with a friend, riding an exercise bicycle, bowling, or any other activity you enjoy doing. You'll feel better. As one patient said:

Prior to being diagnosed with kidney failure I had joined a local gym and was walking on the treadmill three times a week. There were stairs that led up to the second story exercise room. At first, I could not get up those steps without severe tiredness in my legs. I've heard it said that kidney patients have trouble with stairs. Well, after about 2 months of going to the gym, I could run, skip, and jump up the stairs with no problems. That showed me that a big part of our problem is simply being out of shape.

Talk to your doctor before starting a new activity program. To learn more about staying active, read Module 12—Staying Active with Kidney Disease.