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Background/Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition that increases the risk of all-cause mortality and reduces quality of life. National guidelines recommend exercise to manage co-morbidities and improve functional ability, yet the majority of people with CKD are inactive. This project aimed to understand the patient's perspective on exercise and physical activity to inform the development of a self-directed intervention to encourage people to be more active (SPARK). This approach has been shown to be effective in the management of other long-term conditions and hence represents an area for development in CKD to improve quality of life and health outcomes. Methods: Questionnaire data was collected in general nephrology and pre-dialysis outpatient clinics on three sites (Leicester, Northampton and Kettering). This included the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and free text comments regarding preferred activities and barriers/motivators to engaging in exercise. Clinical data was obtained from the participants' medical records. Results: Patients with CKD not requiring renal replacement were sampled (n=1357; 722 male; median age 68 years; median eGFR 29ml/min/1.73m²); 1104 participants were inactive (81.4%) as denned by the LTEQ. Analysis of free text comments from 333 participants generated themes regarding barriers and motivators to exercise. Barriers identified were physical (fatigue, non-specific, co-morbidities), psychological (reduced motivation, anxiety) and social (time and cost), while motivating factors included support, education and gentle exercise. Conclusions: The preferred exercise modality identified was walking, and results show that a walking intervention, combined with an educational manual, has the potential to facilitate people with CKD to become more active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]