Fitness Tips for Kidney Health: Incorporating Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology | September 29, 2023

Introduction

Do you have the habit of going for a walk or run every morning or evening? Do you exercise or perform yoga regularly? Do you follow a balanced and healthy diet? Pat yourself on the back for choosing a healthy lifestyle.

But if you have yet to incorporate these habits into your daily routine, it’s high time to engage yourself in continuous activity for healthy kidney health.

Understanding Kidney Health

If we look at the kidney anatomy, these two bean-shaped organs reside in the abdomen on both sides. A ureter connects the kidneys to the bladder, and this tube-like structure helps carry urine. Apart from filtering out toxins and excess minerals from the blood, the kidneys also help maintain the overall fluid balance of our body, maintain blood pressure and promote bone health. Kidneys are also important in maintaining your hemoglobin at a normal level.

To preservefunction of the kidneys, it is necessary to keep a good balance between water and minerals, like phosphorus, sodium, and potassium, in your blood. The kidneys are responsible for removing waste from our bodies after digestion, exposure to medication or chemicals, and muscle activity.

Kidney disease impairs metabolic functions of the kidney and causes an imbalance in electrolytes and water content in the body. In addition, it accelerates the fat clogging of blood vessels, what is called an accelerated atherosclerosis. Because of this phenomenon, kidney disease leads to an increased risk of heart attack, heart failure and a brain stroke. As kidney function deteriorates, the risk of these complication increases.

The bright side of kidney disease is that, if detected early, kidney disease can be very effectively managed with medicines that stall or reduce the progression of kidney disease.

Benefits of Exercise for Kidney Health

The National Kidney Foundation says that regular exercise can benefit individuals experiencing symptoms of kidney disease. It's because exercise can help with the following:

Wondering which exercise is best for kidneys? Here's your answer.

• Walking.
• Swimming.
• Skipping.
• Bicycling (both outdoors and indoors).
• Aerobic dancing
• Low-level strengthening yoga postures or exercises
• Any other physical activity involving the movement of large muscle groups.

Exercise Guidelines for Individuals with Kidney Health Concerns

According to expert recommendations, you can include aerobic exercises for 30 minutes regularly, preferably every day of the week. Follow a continuous exercise routine through walking, bicycling, swimming, etc.

Incorporating Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Exercise may come in multiple forms, be it performing yoga poses, hitting the gym, bicycling, swimming, dancing, or even going for a simple walk or run at the park nearby. Whatever your favourite physical activity is, include it in your daily exercise routine. The secret to health is consistence in your healthy habits.

Precautions and Considerations for Exercise with Kidney Health Issues

Watch out for these warning signs before exercising!.

Follow these precautionary steps to maintain good exercise habits.

Dietary Considerations for Optimal Kidney Health

An ideal kidney-friendly diet should include,

Monitoring Kidney Health Progress

It's a good practicse to keep monitoring your kidney health from time to time. A common kidney health checkup procedure includes performing a series of blood and urine tests to detect any kidney disease.

These tests include:

These tests help to check your renal function and whether waste and toxins are getting flushed out of the body normally.

Conclusion

To conclude, regular exercise can complement kidney health and improve your metabolic profile Consult a Nephrologist to detect any kidney impairment on time.

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