Can I exercise if I have PKD?

When you are just diagnosed with PKD or you don’t have severe symptoms, moderate exercise can assist your whole treatment. The reason is that moderate exercise can not only help strenghten patients’ immunity but also can help lower high blood prerssure, which is a very common symptom of Polycystic Kidney Disease and can easily aggravate patients’ condition. Generally, mild exercise such as swimming, walking, jogging, Qigong, Tai Chi, etc is suitable for these patients.

Patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease tend to have high blood pressure, so they can’t do the intense exercise. Moderate exercises, such as walking, jogging, swimming, set-up exercise and Tai Chi, etc, are more suitable for these patients. However, if your renal cysts are too bigger, you had better choose walking as your exercise.

There are a few cautions to take when doing exercise with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Firstly, always bring some water to make sure you can drink enough water, when you feel thirsty, while you are more likely to have dehydration after exercise. Secondly, refer to your doctor before you begin to do any sports. Finally, you had better do exercise together with others if the condition allows.