Exercise, it’s no secret, has been touted as being beneficial in a number of ways. It can help strengthen and condition the muscles of the body, facilitate weight loss goals, improve oxygen levels and circulation. But when it comes to people living with impaired kidney function, numerous studies conducted have pinpointed different areas which are tremendously benefitted by physical exercise.
The first such area is the realm of emotional and mental well-being. Dealing with any chronic illness is supremely taxing on a person’s mental state. It’s only natural that anxiety and depression manage to work their way in and negatively impact quality of life. And often, exercise is the last thing a person wants to do when facing such depression and anxiety. According to a meta-analysis, however, there was a marked statistical difference in research study participants with CKD who were placed in a sedentary activity control group and a group that did exercise.
Unsurprisingly, the group that did exercise was able to better manage depression and anxiety symptoms than the sedentary group.
The second aspect impacted by exercise in kidney disease sufferers is bone health. Maintaining strong, healthy bones is typically a struggle in people living with impaired kidney function, as the vitamins necessary to keep bones strong are not absorbed as easily leading to a tendency to be more prone to fractures, sprains and even broken bones.
Observational and experimental studies were examined to compare the effects of physical exercise on bone imaging results in kidney disease patients. The participants who were tasked with undergoing more frequent physical activity had better bone mineral density results, especially in the femoral neck and lumbar spine areas. Researchers also noticed that resistance exercises, specifically, did much to improve the state of the femoral neck and proximal femur, both improving bone formation and preventing bone resorption.
Ultimately, what these two studies serve to teach us is that exercise of any kind is beneficial to literally everyone, but in terms of healthy kidney supportive care, it becomes a vital and easy component of your regimen which can help soothe anxiety and depression while also helping to fortify the bones. Making time for 15 minutes to a half hour a day at least three times a week of low to medium intensity exercise can go a long way to helping you feel your best.
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