STUDENTS from the University of Cumbria are working with kidney patients at Kendal’s Renal Unit to help improve their physical health and quality of life.

Patients undergoing dialysis at Westmorland General Hospital are taking part in the university’s project, which will examine the impact of different forms of exercise on their physical health and the long-term effects.

Participants have been asked to take up or maintain physical activity on both dialysis and non-dialysis days, for example cycling on the bed if undergoing treatment, or walking and performing chair-based exercises on non-treatment days.

The project, led by Theodoros Bampouras of the university’s medical and sport sciences department, has seen two BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science students undertake placements at the unit.

Initial findings are positive and show patients’ leg strength has increased by 16.4 per cent after only six weeks of cycling, said the university.

University student Neil Thomas, who worked with patients for the first phase of the project, said: “The results are very encouraging as they show that leg strength improved significantly with patients engaging in cycling three times a week during dialysis. This improvement was also noticed by the patients, who reported very favourably on the effects of exercise on their quality of life.”

Theo Bampouras added: “Strength is a crucial component of independence in life and the results are certainly pointing towards exercising being able to assist maintaining or even increasing that independence.”

The students have been supported by specialist staff at the unit, which opened in 1995. Heather Hill, specialist renal dietitian and exercise lead on the dialysis unit said: “The opportunity for the dialysis unit to have a student on placement has enabled patients to talk to an exercise specialist about ways to improve their activity.

“The student has acted as a personal trainer and motivated patients who cycle during their dialysis treatment.”

Patient Patrick Raleigh said: “Cycling during dialysis has done me the world of good.

“I started with just five minutes cycling and I am now cycling for one and a half hours.”

University staff and students will present their work at the Renal Education Meeting at Royal Preston Hospital Education Centre to inform other renal specialists of their findings.