Cycling During Dialysis: A Feasibility and Safety Study

People who receive hemodialysis sit for about 4 hours, three times a week, and often feel tired and weak. Exercise can help, but many patients find it hard to exercise on their own. Cycling on a stationary bike during dialysis has been shown to be safe in other hospitals, but it is not yet offered at Sunnybrook. This study will find out if a supervised cycling program during dialysis is practical and safe at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Bayview Campus). Twelve adults who have dialysis on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will cycle on a bedside exercise bike during their dialysis sessions, three times a week for 3 months. Trained nurses and a physiotherapist will set up the bike and watch every session, including checking heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels. We will look at how many patients join and stay in the study, how many cycling sessions they complete, and whether any safety problems happen. We will also look at changes in tiredness, walking ability, quality of life, and how well dialysis cleans the blood. At the end, patients and nurses will give feedback on the program. The results will help decide if cycling can be added to regular dialysis care and will help plan a larger study.