When you are living with kidney disease, staying active can feel like a tall order. Fatigue, dialysis days and the ups and downs of treatment all get in the way, and a brisk daily walk is not always as simple as it sounds. So a new national push to get more of us moving is worth a closer look, especially for what it might mean for kidney health.
What is the NHS ‘marathon a month’ walking scheme?
According to the BBC, NHS England plans to launch a “marathon a month” challenge early next year, encouraging people to walk for around 30 minutes a day. Walk every day and you cover roughly 26 miles across the month, the distance of a marathon. People will be able to log their walks online or through a phone or smartwatch, and those who complete the challenge will be eligible for rewards such as discounts and other incentives. The scheme has been developed with the former Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, as part of the 10-year health plan for England.
The thinking behind it is sobering. NHS England links physical inactivity to around one in six deaths, and a Sport England survey suggested that in the year to November 2025 nearly a quarter of adults, about 12 million people, were not active enough. Organisers hope to sign up more than 100,000 people, and to borrow the “streak” habit made familiar by apps such as Duolingo to help people keep going day after day.
This article draws on BBC News coverage (published 2 July 2026) of NHS England’s planned walking scheme. You can read the original report here.
What a daily walk can mean for kidney health
Gentle, regular movement is something many renal teams actively encourage. For a lot of people living with chronic kidney disease, walking can help with blood pressure, heart health, sleep, mood and maintaining a healthy weight, all of which matter a great deal for kidney health. It costs nothing, needs no special kit and can be built into an ordinary day. Sir Brendan Foster suggested that walking for 30 minutes five times a week could add up to four extra years of healthy life. Every patient is different, of course, but the wider message that small amounts of activity add up is a welcome one, and our healthy living tips for patients are a good place to start.
Here in Manchester, walking together is already part of MRIKPA life. Our Greater Manchester park walks show how a slow stroll in good company can be as much about connection and friendship as it is about exercise.
Building up gently, and always with your renal team
A word of realism is needed too. The scheme is still being finalised, it is focused on England, it will not begin until next year, and the organisers have not yet confirmed exactly what the rewards will be. More importantly, a “marathon a month” can sound daunting when kidney disease already takes so much of your energy. Dialysis fatigue, recovery after a transplant and other health conditions all mean that what suits one patient may be too much for another. The safest approach is to build up slowly and to check with your doctor or renal team before increasing your activity, so that any new routine genuinely supports your kidney health rather than leaving you depleted. Health experts have also cautioned that encouraging people to move more, while helpful, cannot on its own fix the nation’s health without stronger prevention measures alongside it.
We have always known how much a simple walk can lift the spirits, especially on the harder days. Anything that encourages our community to keep moving, at their own pace and within their own limits, is something we warmly welcome.
Guy Hill, Chair of MRIKPA
At MRIKPA we see the value of gentle activity every week, and if a national scheme helps more people discover it, all the better. In the meantime you are warmly invited to join our Casual Park Walks, where the pace is easy and nobody is counting the miles.
We are a small community of patients who understand this journey from the inside. If you would like to walk alongside us, or simply talk things through, you are always welcome to reach out at support@mrikpa.org.uk or call 07745 242 684.
Source: BBC News, 2 July 2026. NHS to reward people who walk 30 minutes a day. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj6g0rdy40jo
This article is provided for general information and awareness purposes only and was believed to be accurate at the time of publishing. It is not intended as medical advice. Please always consult your doctor or renal team for guidance on your individual circumstances. Images used are for illustration purposes only and may not be medically or editorially accurate. While we take every care, errors can occur. If you spot an inaccuracy, please let us know at support@mrikpa.org.uk.
