Exercise Club

Having been on multiple forms of dialysis for the past six years and realizing with recurrent fsgs that I will not be going to the Tranplant Olympics anytime soon, and needing some inspiration, fellowship and ecouragement I would like to invite my dialysis mates to join this thread as a means of logging your exercise. That is, if it is o.k. with Dori.

For example I will turn 42 next May around the same time we host our local National Kidney Foundation Walk. My exercise goal will be to run the 2.5 mile walk rather than walk it. I used to run 10K and 15Ks prior to ESRD onset and really enjoyed the training and the run. I didn’t run particularly fast and never came near winning but found that my clearest thinking was around mile three and onward. I miss that. Two years ago a friend pushed me the two miles in a wheelchair as I was recovering from a particularly awful failed transplant (number two). Last year I merely walked with my team - you guessed it - The Riverdudes.

So, over the next six months I will walk on my treadmill and outside when possible, pedal my stationary bike while dialyzing, and hopefully start to jog in a couple of months. I’ll post my progress here. For example, today I walked 1.5 miles.

I would love it if others did the same. Not as a competition rather as a place of mutual support and encouragement.

The following is a brief article on the importance of exercise for those of us fortunate to be on dialysis (those who aren’t forunate are dead - I’m not counting transplants for we know they are fortunate as well).

http://www.aakp.org/aakp-library/Dialysis-Patients–Exercise/

Perhaps from here we can approach NKF to sponsor the Dialysis Olympics.

Just remember all it takes is just “one step in front of the other. . .”

Cheers! Erich

Erich;
Today I walked across the street to the grocery store. I really needed a sugarery soda. I got something called Izze juice soda, it doesn’t have any sugars added, it is all fruit juice. It does have almost as much carbohydrates as a regular soda. It was very tasty and just juice and carbonated water. My partner and I walked about a block or two down one block over from our house and then made our way back to the house. I would’ve liked to walk much more, but I am having serious problems with my hip and my foot now. I tried to do some Yoga when I got home and didn’t have much luck with it. I did realize that I need to spend more time trying to do Yoga though. Exercise is so very important to dialysis patients. A website about exercise for dialysis patients would be cool. I will try and post up to this thread as often as I can.
Peace;
LSB

[quote=Leafsunbear;11461]Erich;
Today I walked across the street to the grocery store. I really needed a sugarery soda. I got something called Izze juice soda, it doesn’t have any sugars added, it is all fruit juice. It does have almost as much carbohydrates as a regular soda. It was very tasty and just juice and carbonated water. My partner and I walked about a block or two down one block over from our house and then made our way back to the house. I would’ve liked to walk much more, but I am having serious problems with my hip and my foot now. I tried to do some Yoga when I got home and didn’t have much luck with it. I did realize that I need to spend more time trying to do Yoga though. Exercise is so very important to dialysis patients. A website about exercise for dialysis patients would be cool. I will try and post up to this thread as often as I can.
Peace;
LSB[/quote]

Way to go, Leafsunbear. Last week you would have probably had a difficult time doing either the walk or drinking the soda. I’m sure it was painful but I applaud your courage.

Keep on trucking. Erich

Exercise is important for everyone, but especially for people with kidney disease and kidney failure who research has shown are less fit than others (not surprisingly) and will get progressively less fit and more debilitated in the “cycle of deconditioning” by not exercising. As the old saying goes, “use it or lose it” and losing it can come very fast and can keep you from doing the things you love.

For those of you just getting started with exercise or those of you who want to increase your exercise, the Life Options Rehabilitation Program administered by Medical Education Institute (just like this website) has a booklet on exercise called “Exercise: A Guide for People on Dialysis.” This booklet has diagrams and instructions to help you begin an exercise program with very gentle flexibility exercises and over time work up to more strenuous exercise. It includes exercises for strength, endurance, and flexibility. It includes advice on when to exercise (after getting your doctor’s advice) and when not to exercise (when you’re ill, your blood pressure is high, etc.), how to measure/monitor the intensity of your exercise, other types of activities that can be considered exercise (for those that the just word “exercise” turns off), a log to record your exercise, barriers to exercise and how to overcome them and more. You can find this booklet at:

You might also want to check out the “tips and stories” that include some things on exercise from the Life Options homepage:
http://www.lifeoptions.org under

Geez, I can just walk about one block with some difficulty, but if I try to walk more than one block its major pain! Its not because of dialysis but from other problems that occured during transplant…Prednisone and perhaps Immuran really messes up your hip joints and becuase of that my spine twisted like an S -shape! Argh!! :frowning:

However, I do have a full body excercise bike at home that really helps to eaze the long walks…

There are exercises that put less strain on your joints, like water aerobics and/or swimming. You might try those.

Gus

It must be very difficult for you but the bike sounds like a great solution or as Beth suggests if you can access a pool water activities are great although I am wary of busy public pools as you never know how clean they are and after Bear’s horror stories about infected fistulas… Phew!!

Riverdude

Great idea,
Here is my plan for today (a “not off Nocturnal” morning)
Walk dog on beach for a couple of kilometres
Go to gym, Walking machine 15mins (intermittent jogging)
Cycle 10 mins
Rowing 5mins
Weights 20 mins
Pool 25 mins
Go home , cup of tea, recuperate
Gardening
Late afternoon -another swim and walk the dog

Usual “come off Nocturnal” morning)
Shorter dog walk
PM Another walk and/or swim
Go drumming/dancing in Samba band

Now that sounds pretty good (I am 51) but I do appreciate the words of Gus and LSB who obviously have greater physical challengs to face each day. I just know that while I still can, I better bloody well do it , before I can’t. Also as I seem to have a very hearty appetite I know if I don’t do the above I will end up a big fat slob ):

[quote=TheRiverdude;11457]So, over the next six months I will walk on my treadmill and outside when possible, pedal my stationary bike while dialyzing, and hopefully start to jog in a couple of months. I’ll post my progress here. For example, today I walked 1.5 miles.

I would love it if others did the same. Not as a competition rather as a place of mutual support and encouragement.
[/quote]

Good idea Erich, staying motivated is the hardest part of an exercise program. I’m not as young as you (I’ll be 44 next August) but I’ll share my exercise efforts – I’d like to get to the gym at least three times a week – that is the challenge. As a matter of habit I walk the dog at least once a day in the park – a fifteen or thirty minute route depending on the weather but often I manage to get to the park twice a day, not as much right now (it’s dark here from 4 pm to 7:30 am right now) but it dies happen.

I work out of the union which means fifteen minute breaks twice a day. Me and a buddy kick around a soccer ball during at least one break, playing keep away from the dog. I can feel my legs from yesterday’s vigorous game. Rain or shine we at least walk along the river for 5 or 10 minutes, twice a day. And after dialysis I always have to take the dog for his last walk of the night, usually around a couple of blocks.

I think I have walking covered, at the gym I like to do upper body high repetition weight training. My goal would be to be able to do a chin up. I use to be able to do a chin up but I couldn’t tell you when I lost that ability, other than to say it has been a long while.

[quote=beachy;11470]
[snip] impresive list of activities [snip]
Now that sounds pretty good and I do appreciate the words of Gus and LSB who obviously have greater physical challengs to face each day. I just know that while i still can, I better bloody well do it , before I can’t. Also as I seem to have a very hearty appetite I know if I don’t do the above I will end up a big fat slob ):[/quote]

I agree Beachy we got do what we can, while we can, but we should also contnue to challenge our limits. Do you have a goal? Something six - 12 months out?

[quote=beachy;11470]Gus

It must be very difficult for you but the bike sounds like a great solution or as Beth suggests if you can access a pool water activities are great although I am wary of busy public pools as you never know how clean they are and after Bear’s horror stories about infected fistulas… Phew!!

In the U.S. vernacular, “You go Girl!”

Your routine is very inspirational. I’m no where near as active and I don’t think a I have a good reason not to be. I’ll report later today to see what I actually did.

I like to think I’m a man of action or in action - one or the other - but I won’t wax poetic about what I intend to do. As the Nike commericial says I just need to “do it.”

Erich

Yesterday after my last post. We road the bus up the elephant pharmacy to buy digestive enzymes for me. I wanted to walk back home because my foot felt better. I am not sure how far this was, but it takes two buses to get there. It is all down hill though. Today we walked the two and half blocks to the Bart train and went to my clinic for some supplies. Then we road the Bart to another stop where we walked to out PO box and to Panda Express. Then road back and did the two and half block walk home. So when I don’t have a car I get a fair share of walking in. With my foot getting better I should be getting more walking in too. I really wish Yoga was easier for me to commit to. It is so very good for you to do. I just always seem to have reasons why I don’t want to do it. I don’t feel good or it bothers my catheter. I just need to to motivate and do it.
One interesting thing that happened at the Elephant pharmacy is we talked to a Ayuraveda specialist. It was funny cause I seemed to know more about how Ayuraveda could help me then she did. I geuss what was good about it is it reminded me of what an exstensive pool of knowledge I have of alternative health care and that I can take better care of myself with it. So it was an all around good experience for me.
Peace;
LSB

Good on you LSB.
Sounds like ,as you say, you are your own best advocate. few of our friends are very into Ayuravedic lifestyle and diets as it is very popular around Byron Bay near where I live in Australia. They swear by it and look great.
Cheers

[quote=Bill Peckham;11475]Good idea Erich, staying motivated is the hardest part of an exercise program. I’m not as young as you (I’ll be 44 next August) but I’ll share my exercise efforts – I’d like to get to the gym at least three times a week – that is the challenge. As a matter of habit I walk the dog at least once a day in the park – a fifteen or thirty minute

Bill,

You are wonderfully active and it sounds like you work full time too? Keep sharing activities with us. All too often I would look down dialysis seat row and just wonder how much happier people would be if they could stop being victims of their disease.

For my part I walked 1.2 miles in 24 minutes yesterday on the treadmill. Not much, but exercising twice in three days is a pretty good trend. I’m not counting hoisting my 26 pound 2-year old daughter or my 90 pound 7-year old. I don’t consider that exercise rather just part of life.

Cheers, Erich

Have been watch’n this web site and have just found a subject I know enough about to chime in on. I just turned sixty, have been on HD for a year and a half and on home for eleven months. I went from be’n a very active bicycle’n, golf’n, ski’n retiree one day, to on dialysis the next. It realy threw me for a loope. I just didn’t feel good enough for exercise dur’n the seven months I was on center dialysis, took fifty pounds off of me. However, early in Nxstage train’n I felt better and started play’n golf most days after train’n, first out of a cart, then back to carry’n my bag. Then the Director of my training center got me back on a bike and took me on a brisk (15 - 20 mph) 30 mile bike ride. Ya know, I just had thought I couldn’t do it. Now I play at least 72 holes a week, ride 80-120 miles a week with my old club, lift weights every other day, and can’t wait to start the ski season. We can do more exercise than we think we can. The more exercise you do the more you can do. Other than the fact that I am tied to my Nxstage three hours a day, my arm buzzes, and my skin is thin,and, my hair has grown back (menoxidle), I am in my best shape sinse leave’n for Desert Storm 17 years ago.

I was at the gym about an hour ago and I credit this thread with getting me there - Jim you said “The more exercise you do the more you can do.” I know this to be true, thank you for the timely reminder.

I also am reminded that exercise gives more energy than it takes. I frittered away yesterday reading websites (politics, epo and H5N1) and didn’t do anything I needed to get done around the house. At least today I am doing bill paying and laundry between looking at the computer - a better balance from exercise.

We can do more exercise than we think we can. The more exercise you do the more you can do.

Right on! Please keep us posted on your activities. Your active life should be an inspiration to us all - it is to me. Erich

I read somtime back about a dialysis group down in UK somewhere that gathers once a year for skydiving…hehe

Recently, I was invited by a close friend to skydive but just kept declining the offer…

Would any of you on dialysis do this? :rolleyes:

Think I am more of a skin diver than a sky diver (;

I would probably ski dive if offered. I don’t think I would go out looking to do it though.
THe past few days have been low activity for me. It was raining yesterday and today I only felt like to going to the grocery store to shop. I have some serious motivation issues. I could do exercise in my living room, but I don’t. I tell myself I am going to, but am never consistent at it. This is a part of me I would really like to change.
LSB

[quote=Gus;11525]I read somtime back about a dialysis group down in UK somewhere that gathers once a year for skydiving…hehe

Recently, I was invited by a close friend to skydive but just kept declining the offer…

Would any of you on dialysis do this? :rolleyes:[/quote]

I’ll jump with you Gus and I’ll dive with Beachy. Did you invite me do dive, Beachy?