BALANCE

BALANCE stands for:
Balance And Learning About Nutrition, Change & Exercise.

BALANCE is a lifestyle management programme aimed at empowering people with kidney disease, kidney transplant recipients and donors to make positive and lasting changes to achieve a healthy weight and improve their physical and mental fitness.

What can BALANCE do for you?

Your surgeon / specialist nurse may advise reducing your weight and / or increasing your fitness before surgery.

Before a kidney transplant or kidney donation surgery we can:

Support you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight for surgery by giving advice and information around all aspects of food and diet
Support you to improve your physical fitness by tailoring exercise to suit you, your medical conditions and your environment

If you have received a transplant, it can be hard to maintain a healthy weight, diet, lifestyle or level of fitness. It is very important for the lifespan of your new kidney to be in the best health.

After a kidney transplant or kidney donation surgery we can:

Support you to maintain an ideal weight after your surgery for long lasting health of you and your kidney
Give advice on when and how to exercise and increase activity after surgery
Support you to keep healthy after your donation

When you are making decisions on dialysis modality, there are some options where a healthy weight and good fitness / strength are particularly important. Whilst making these choices BALANCE can help you to work toward the type of dialysis you would prefer by improving general health, weight and fitness.

We aim to support your wellbeing throughout your journey.

Meet the BALANCE team

Jane Dursley is our Specialist Renal and Transplant Dietitian; she has many years of experience working with people with Renal disease. Jane provides education and support with your diet and nutrition taking into account any health conditions you may have.
Louise Kennedy is our Specialist Renal and Transplant Physiotherapist with many years working within the speciality both in Cardiff and London. She initiated the BALANCE programme in Cardiff in 2011. Louise will help you become more physically active, taking into consideration your physical health, medical history and current level of ability.
Liz Davies is our BALANCE Assistant who ensures the BALANCE programme runs smoothly by processing programme referrals, invitations and bookings, and answering queries. She helps to facilitate our virtual sessions and also provides support during our face -to -face groups.
We have a Rotational Senior Physiotherapist as our BALANCE Physiotherapist. They have experience in Renal and Transplant, amongst a variety of other disciplines. They will get to know you on a one-to-one basis to find out what you enjoy and provide you with support and encouragement on how to become more active.
Misbah Gladwyn-Khan is our Renal and Transplant Clinical Psychologist. Misbah will help you consider how your thinking, emotions and coping may be influencing your habits. Misbah will also talk to you about how it is possible to respond to situations differently to develop a healthier lifestyle.

What can I expect from BALANCE?

A once weekly 9 week programme running either online via Zoom, or face to face in community settings such as Leisure Centres.

Virtual BALANCE

You will receive a weekly video introducing the topics of the week
Lively discussion session via Zoom
One-to-one telephone consultation with the physio to set activity goals
Helpful resources and links emailed straight to you
Access to our Dietitian and Psychologist as required

Live BALANCE run by our Dietitian, Physiotherapist, Psychologist and Therapy Assistant

Education then lively discussion session on the topics of the week
Circuit style exercise class tailored to your ability
Support to continue to exercise in your local leisure centre

Each participant receives:

The BALANCE information book
A Healthy eating advice booklet
An individual energy prescription and support with self-monitoring during your weight loss / maintenance journey
An exercise plan tailored to your ability and environment
Peer support and lively discussion on a variety of different topics lead by the specialist Dietitian and Physiotherapist
Direct access to specialists and resources

So how can I join BALANCE?

Any professional from the nephrology or transplant teams can refer you, please ask your Healthcare Provider.

Kidney Beam

We encourage kidney patients to explore Kidney Beam, a free resource of online exercise for people living with kidney disease. Please click here to find out more.

Useful Links

Patient information leaflets

What is BALANCE ?