Download Home Exercise Program for Patients with Kidney Disease

Home Exercise Program for
Patients with Kidney Disease
Getting Started
Regular exercise should be a part of life for everyone. Exercise improves the
body's tolerance to activity and work, strengthens muscle tone and bones. It also
helps to lower high blood pressure, manage stress, and lose weight. Exercise can
improve one's sense of well being. Exercise will improve your heart and help
keep it healthy. Gradually increasing your physical activity will restore your
energy and strength.
The rehabilitation staff or your doctor will talk to you about exercising and
prescribe an exercise program for you. Your exercise plan, however, depends on
several factors:
C Current physical condition
C Stage in the recovery process
C Surgery or presence of any complications from
your illness
C How much you exercised in the past
C Medications
C Level of activity on the job
C Personal likes and dislikes
If there are complications, your activities will be limited until your symptoms or
problems clear up. Do not exercise without instructions from your doctor or the
rehabilitation staff.
Types of Exercise
The type of exercise you do is important because different exercises have different
effects on your body. The best exercises for the heart, lungs, and circulatory
system are activities that involve continuous rhythmic motion such as walking,
cycling and dancing. These also help increase the body's muscle tone and
strength, and can be easily done at a low level of intensity. You might also try
some conditioning exercises to help your flexibility and strength.
Find exercises you enjoy doing. Start with a low level of intensity and work up to
20-40 minutes of exercise each day for 3 to 5 days each week.
Page 2
Intensity of Exercise
One of the purposes of exercise is to gradually increase your heart rate and
breathing rates. You want to exercise hard enough to benefit your heart, but not
so hard that you strain. While you are exercising, you should be able to carry
on a conversation, and not feel breathless.
When you first return home, your activity level should be the same as it was in the
hospital. The perceived exertion (how you feel) scale should be used to guide or
pace your exercise intensity. Exercise should not cause you pain. You need to
push yourself, but not too hard. As your strength and stamina improve, you will be
able to increase your pace without overdoing it.
Signs that you are exercising too hard are called effort symptoms and include:
•
excessive shortness of breath C
•
dizziness
C
severe muscle or joint pain
•
chest discomfort or pain
C
nausea
•
unusual fatigue–lasting more than an hour after exercise
leg or stomach cramping
If these symptoms occur, stop your activity and rest. Be sure to tell your doctor,
nurse or therapist.
Rating How You Feel
Rating how you feel during
exercise can be used to check if
you are working too hard, or
not enough. You may have
heard of checking your pulse or
heart rate to see how hard you
are exercising. Because of your
kidney disease and the
medicines you take, your pulse
may not be a good check for
you. Instead, we want you to
use the Rating of Perceived
Exertion Scale (RPE Scale).
This is a rating of how you feel
during exercise.
Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE Scale)
0
0.5
Nothing at all
Very, very light
1
Very Light
2
Fairly Light
3
Light
4
5
Somewhat hard
6
Hard
7
8
Very hard
9
On the scale of 0-10, you
should feel like you are
Very, very hard
10
working at a level between 5
and 7. You may not start out at
that level but that is the goal to
work toward. Don’t push too
hard but try to get to between 5 and 7 so you are working somewhat hard to hard.
Page 3
Frequency of Exercise
Frequency of activity is important at first. Continue with 2 to 3 short walks
around the house every day. You should walk as much as you were walking in the
hospital hallways. As your exercise periods become longer, you can cut down on
the number of exercise sessions a day. Exercise will have no benefit for your
heart unless you do it regularly, at least 3 to 5 times a week. Allow your body at
least one day a week to rest.
Duration of Exercise
Start with the length of time that you were doing in the hospital. You may start by
exercising for a few minutes and gradually add more time, with a goal of
exercising 20 to 40 minutes. Make your exercise continuous.
Warm-up
You should do warm-up exercises before beginning your exercise program. Start
with 5 minutes of stretching or conditioning exercises. These will help keep your
joints flexible, prevent muscle injuries, and gradually increase your heart rate
before exercising. Then begin your exercise routine slowly working up to a
comfortable pace.
Cool-down
It is also important to allow your heart rate and blood pressure to gradually return
to a resting state. After you exercise, cool down by exercising at a slower pace for
a few minutes.
Warm Up
5 minutes
Walk
20 - 45 minutes
Cool Down
5 minutes
Page 4
Sample Walking Program
There are many good ways to begin an exercise program. Here is a walking
program you might try. Walking is an easy way to get some good exercise but it
doesn’t require any special equipment other than good, comfortable shoes. Ask
your therapist if you are interested in other exercise programs.
If you find a given week’s pattern tiring, repeat it before going on to the next
pattern. You do not have to complete the walking program in 12 weeks. Work to
your pace, but keep exercising.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Warm Up
Target Zone
Cool Down
Total Time
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
15 min.
5 min.
5 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
7 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
9 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
11 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
13 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
15 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
18 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
20 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
23 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
26 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
28 min.
5 min.
Walk Slowly
Walk Briskly
Walk Slowly
5 min.
30 min.
5 min.
17 min.
19 min.
21 min.
23 min.
25 min.
28 min.
30 min.
33 min.
36 min.
38 min.
40 min.
Page 5
Exercise Tips
C
Walk after a rest period, not when you are already
tired from another activity.
C
In hot and / or humid weather, exercise in the
morning or evening when it is cooler. Exercising in
an enclosed mall or fitness facility is a good idea
when the temperature is very hot (above 85 degrees
Fahrenheit).
C
During cold weather, cover your nose and mouth
with a scarf. Exercising in an enclosed mall or
fitness facility is a good idea when the temperature is
very cold (below 32 degrees Fahrenheit).
C
Wear loose, comfortable clothing whenever you are
exercising. Wear enough clothing to keep you warm
but not overheated, especially when you are
outdoors. Several light layers that you can put on or
take off are more comfortable and convenient than
heavy clothing.
C
Try walking with friends or a family member to
make your exercise program more enjoyable.
If you would like more written information, please call the Center for Health Information
at (614)293-3707. You can also make the request by e-mail: [email protected].
©
Copyright, (5/2002)
Rehabilitation Services/Dialysis
The Ohio State University Medical Center
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Upon request all patient education handouts are available in other formats for people with special
hearing, vision and language needs, call (614) 293-3191.