Everyone knows the advantages of exercise, but for renal patients, keeping fit is more than just another challenge. The Renal Fitness Challenge is a unique concept aimed at helping patients not only achieve important healthier lifestyle goals, but also to provide them with some amazing medical benefits. By placing personal health goals into an exciting and inspirational context, the program aims to motivate renal patients to achieve a higher level of health and happiness.
Research has shown that exercising during a hemodialysis session increases the treatment's effectiveness, and that a certain level of activity is very beneficial for renal patients. To encourage patients to begin, continue, and improve their use of exercise bikes on properly equipped dialysis units, the Renal Fitness Challenge takes patients on virtual tours of interesting places around the world. The patients learn about the history and geography of different regions while their own distances gained on exercise bikes propel their teams forward. The program significantly contributes to the health and welfare of renal patients in Alberta.
The Renal Fitness Challenge also promotes awareness of the benefits of exercise bikes on dialysis units. Through future expansion to include a growing number of dialysis units in Alberta and one day beyond, the Renal Fitness Challenge has the potential to provide long term benefits for renal patients across the country.
This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Kidney March Patient Exercise challenge, and Alberta Kidney Care patients, in partnership with the Kidney Foundation of Canada, are keeping active and working together in a celebration of our amazing province.
In this new Tour of Alberta, eleven teams of dialysis patients will combine their exercise and activity distances in a virtual trip across the province. The teams will visit ten popular tourism hotspots throughout Alberta while passing through different cities with hemodialysis units. The total route is approximately 5050 km long.
This anniversary event is a celebration both of our patients’ dedication and of Alberta Kidney Care’s successful renal exercise program, which has been a nationwide pioneer. The patients will work together to achieve their goals and improve their overall health and happiness through exercise during their dialysis treatments and through promoting the importance of daily activity.
Started: 2021-06-07
Finished: 2021-09-04
