Effectiveness of a Combined Exercise Program in Improving Balance, Quality of Life, and Satisfaction With Life of Patients With Hemodialysis

Background and Aims The quality of life of hemodialysis patients who are in the final stages of renal failure is affected by various factors. Balance, as an important factor in physical ability, plays an important role in the physical and daily activities of people, including hemodialysis patients. Exercise and physical activity in these patients can reduce the symptoms of uremic syndrome, increase hemodialysis quality, and reduce mortality in these patients. This study aims to investigate the improvement of balance, quality of life, and satisfaction with life of hemodialysis patients after 8 weeks of combined exercises. Methods In this study, 24 patients with hemodialysis aged 40-60 years in Urmia, Iran participated voluntarily and were randomly divided into two groups of control (n=12) and exercise (n=12). Their quality of life (by 26-item World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire in four areas of physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health), satisfaction with life (by the satisfaction with life scale), static and dynamic balance (using the Prokin 212N device) were measured before and after 8 weeks of resistance-aerobic exercises in both groups. The control group had their normal daily activities during this period without any intervention. Results The combined exercise program significantly improved the static balance (P=0.001), dynamic balance (P=0.001), and quality of life (P=0.001 for physical, psychological, and environmental health; P=0.010 for social relationships) in the exercise group compared to the control group. In addition, a significant effect was found on the satisfaction with life in the exercise group (P=0.001). Conclusion The combined exercise program is effective in improving balance, satisfaction with life, and quality of life of hemodialysis patients. It is recommended to use these exercises to improve the balance, quality of life, and satisfaction with life of these patients.