Photo: Reading Eagle: Tim Leedy -- Ellen Vanszl of Reading works out the gym.

Now that I am on my second round of Cytoxan (first time oral, now IV), this article about Ellen Vanszl’s exercise regimen is a good way to emphasize the importance of fitness generally, especially for those with any disease affecting the kidneys.

One thing I have learned since my diagnosis is anemia is truly my enemy.  I had no idea anemia could take my body down like it did earlier this year.  I also learned working with weights and moderate exercise can get me through tough days when the body feels as if it cannot make it.  I am thankful for my cardio workouts and weight training because I needed every ounce of endurance and the muscle mass to get me through that bad bout with anemia.

For Ellen Vansz, a retired 77-year old English teacher, working out helps her control the physical effects of lupus nephritis.  “The workouts have enabled me to strengthen my legs and build my stamina and strength. I have a history of longevity on both sides of the family, and if I’m going to live a long time, I’d like to be healthy, and that’s why I joined the gym.”

Ellen works out two to three days a week using the treadmill with the incline because she likes to walk and climb which is a challenge for anyone spilling lots-o-protein or suffering anemia, common with kidney disease.  Ellen also does the seated leg press and back extensions. “I know I have to go when the lupus kicks in. It feels so good when I go, and I feel 100 percent when I leave the gym.”

For Ellen, exercise helps her control the physical effects of lupus on her body, enables her to keep up with the activities of her grandchildren, and it energizes her whole body.  As I too have learned, it is also a great way to be social and meet new people.

To top off my exercise routine, I always, always enter the sauna and steam rooms to sweat out toxins.  The skin is sometimes known as the third kidney and trust me, there have been times when the sauna/steam rooms have aided in taking off a good deal of water weight and lowered my blood pressure as a result.  If you don’t have access to a sauna/steam room, a sauna suit will do just fine.  A word of caution though, limit your initial visits to 10 minutes and if you begin feeling faint, leave the room to cool down.  You have to build up to longer stays in the sauna or steam rooms.

It is true, physical activity can improve the quality of life for people with kidney disease both physically and emotionally.  Having a chronic disease like kidney disease (or lupus nephritis) puts a strain on the body and challenges people emotionally. Lack of physical activity leads to weaker muscles, poor activity tolerance and a body that is more susceptible to illness.  Even if you have not exercised in the past, you can benefit from starting a fitness program now. Fitness training has been shown to improve exercise capacity by 20 – 25% for people with kidney disease.

In order for your fitness program to have its desired effect, you also need to:

• Control your blood pressure.
• Control your dietary and fluid intake.
• Treat anemia. Keep hematocrit levels between 33 – 36%.
• Control other medical problems such as infections, diabetes, bone disease and heart disease.

As for resistance training, avoid heavy weights.  Heavy weights can increase your blood pressure to levels unsafe for kidney disease.  It is better to use a lighter weight and learn the proper breathing techniques to prevent unsafe increases in your blood pressure.

How many repetitions?  Do 6 – 10 exercises targeting the large muscle groups: legs, abdomen, back, chest and arms. Perform exercises using free weights or weight machines.

Frequency for weight or resistance training should be 2-3 times a week.  To prevent injury and ensure you get the benefit of the resistance training, don’t do these exercises two days in a row.  This is important because you can stress your body and with lupus you really don’t want to do that.

The above information on exercise comes from a paper published by the Kidney Transplant/Dialysis Association (KTDA) entitled Exercise and Kidney Disease (PDF – requires Adobe Acrobat).  It is packed with useful information on exercise, resistance training, and precautions.

The Annals of Internal Medicine in their Summaries For Patients series has a short paper on the importance of Weight-Training Exercises To Counteract the Negative Effects of Low-Protein Diets in People with Kidney Disease (PDF – requires Adobe Acrobat — for web summary click here).  According to the article, known problems with low-protein diets are:

Doctors often recommend low-protein diets for people with kidney disease because such a diet delays the worsening of kidney disease. However, patients who don’t eat protein lose muscle. When patients lose enough muscle, they become weak and less able to carry out their usual activities. Lifting weights (resistance training) builds up muscle and reduces loss of muscle in such diseases as HIV infection and congestive heart failure. No one has tested resistance training to see if it prevents loss of muscle in patients with kidney disease who are following a low-protein diet.

The study showed that after 12 weeks, patients in the weight-training group gained muscle and muscle strength, while the patients in the sham exercise group became weaker.  Bottom line, lifting weights (resistance training) appears to help counteract the muscle loss that can occur when people eat a low-protein diet to prevent worsening of kidney disease. Resistance training may help patients with kidney disease to live more normal lives.

So, what are you waiting for?  Get in to a gym and if nothing else make an investment in yourself either by joining the YMCA/YWCA, a health club or purchasing a set of weights and a treadmill.  Cardio and resistance training will increase endurance and muscle strength.  Don’t overdo it.  Everything in moderation.  In the end, as I have learned, you will be glad you did.

Source:

ReadingEagle.com: Fitness profile: Ellen Vanszl

Annals of Internal Medicine: Weight-Training Exercises To Counteract the Negative Effects of Low-Protein Diets in People with Kidney Disease