When Can I Move?

When Can I Move?

Staying active is a great way to support your wellbeing and protect kidney health. Regular exercise can boost your energy levels, help you maintain independence, and help you feel better overall. That’s why it’s helpful to build a routine that fits your body, your lifestyle, and your goals.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking for ways to stay motivated, use these pages to explore what might suit you. You’ll find answers to common questions about exercising and staying active.

Take what you’ve learned and make sure to speak with your health care team. This will help keep you safe before starting, changing, or stopping any exercise or physical activity.

Let’s look at: When can I exercise?

Now...
Stand up and sit down 5 times
Or do 10 arm circles

Congratulations you started today!

Everyone’s schedule is different so ‘when’ this is highly personal. The key is consistency so if you are not a morning person and evenings work for you, lock it in.

Exercise routines that don’t fit comfortably into your week or day tend to be the first thing to go when life gets busy. That’s exactly when you need to look after yourself with healthful exercise!

Over the next little while, trial and error exercise timing to find the thing that fits you best.

Morning

Pros	Cons	Suggestion
Mood boost, weight loss, better sleep	Lower performance, higher injury risk	Warm up well, light snack if needed

Midday

Pros	Cons	Suggestion
Mental reset, social, combat afternoon slump	Time constraints, post workout fatigue	Flexible schedule, lunchtime walk/class

Afternoon

Pros	Cons	Suggestion
Peak performance, lower injury risk	Schedule conflicts, impact evening times	Strength training, consistent time slot

Evening

Pros	Cons
Sports or high performance Social Flexible	Can impact your sleep

Exercising with Dialysis

On Dialysis Days:

Everyone has different experiences when on dialysis and there is a no one size fits all approach.

Ideally talk with your healthcare team and ask about getting a personalised exercise plan routine with either a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. You may be able to access these within the health service where you have your treatment, speak to your GP about getting a ‘Chronic Disease Management Plan.’

This plan allows you to access up to 5 Medicare-subsidised visits per year to an Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist for exercise interventions

Before Haemodialysis

You can exercise before your dialysis session if your blood pressure is within your usual range and your fluid hasn’t built up too much between sessions.

Talk with your dialysis team about what would be right for you.

During Haemodialysis

Exercising during your dialysis session (called intradialytic exercise) can be safe and effective for many people.

You can do activities like cycling on a stationary bike or light resistance band exercises while seated.

The best time to exercise is during the first two hours of your session, to help avoid low blood pressure that sometimes happens toward the end of treatment.

Talk to your healthcare team to find out what’s best for you.

After Haemodialysis

Exercise after dialysis is often not ideal because many people feel tired or “washed out,” and their blood pressure might be lower than usual.

However, if you feel up to it, gentle or low-intensity activities – like walking – are okay.

Non-Dialysis Days:

You might like to schedule longer or more vigorous sessions when energy levels are higher, which is often on days when you are not receiving treatment.

Morning or Afternoon:
Choose a time of day when you feel most energetic and least fatigued. For many dialysis patients, this may be later in the morning or early afternoon, but individual preference and energy levels should guide timing

Regular Breaks:
If sitting for long periods (such as during dialysis), try to add short, frequent movement breaks to improve circulation and reduce stiffness