Dialysis, by its very nature, requires patients to do a lot of sitting around (or lying around) during the actual treatment. Dialysis however, tends to break down protein within the muscle fibre, and so patients become weak and less mobile.
Doctors from the University of Virginia, echoing what has been said many times over the years, recommend patients should take some exercise to stay healthy. They are recommending a program called Sit Fit - exercises that can be done while sitting, for patients during the dialysis itself. It uses a type of exercise bike, and the pedalling required benefits patients.
A search using Google reveals reports on this sort of exercise going back many years. So while not exactly new news, and there are alternatives to the Sit Fit program, it might be news to some of you. So in conclusion, don't just sit there, get those pedals working. You'll feel so much better afterwards.
Here's a link to a pdf from the famous Guys and St Thomas hospital in the UK, on dialysis and pedalling towards a better life. And an image of the exercise bike in action.
