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Wellness

5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

Often overlooked, we focus on the importance of kidney health and what you can do to maintain it.
5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

Yoga for Kidney health, side plank

kidney yoga

Crane pose or arm balance

Shins are shelved on the back of the upper arms with the hands pressed firmly into the mat. Toes are lifted toward the buttocks as the chest is extended forward, gaze is forward and down. This pose greatly challenges balance, and targets the core and the upper-arm muscles. This pose has a safe set-up that doesn’t involve a full lift to the hand-balance position. See more details here

5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

Crescent lunge

Stand in a high lunge with arms straight in the air above the shoulders. Back leg is energized, straight and strong. The belly is lifted in and up and the chest is lifted as the arms actively reach up and over.

This pose challenges balance, strengthens the front thigh, stretches the hip flexors on the rear leg and energizes the spine.

5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

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Low plank or chaturanga

Elbows are hugged against the side ribs and are bent at a 90 degree angle. Tailbone is tucked with the belly scooped in and up to target the core and protect the low back from injury. Toes are curled under and the legs are straight.

This pose involves isometric contractions in the arms, shoulders, chest, core and even some work in the legs for whole body strengthening. When repeated from low to high plank the focus moves more directly to the upper body.

5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

Side plank

Balance on the outer edge of one foot and one hand with the torso open to the side and the opposite arm extended. Top hip is stacked above the bottom hip and then both hips are lifted further from the floor.

This pose challenges balance, strengthens the upper body and largely targets the side core muscles for the lift in the hips and stability. For beginners, we suggest leaving your bottom knee bent and on the floor. 

Yoga for Kidney health, side plankYoga for Kidney health, side plank

Warrior two

Stand in a high lunge with the torso and the back foot turned to the side, front knee and toes pointed straight forward, arms extended forward and back with the gaze over the front fingertips and the shoulders pressed down away from the ears.

This pose strengthens the front thigh and gluteus muscles while stretching the inner thighs. Keeping the arms extended and straight with isometric contraction for a period of time also strengthens the shoulders, biceps and triceps.

5 yoga poses to improve kidney health

The kidneys perform three essential body functions: regulating water in your body, removing waste from the body and producing hormones that help regulate blood pressure. Exercise plays an important role in kidney health as it improves kidney function, reduces the risk of kidney cancer and improves the quality of life for survivors of kidney cancer. Jock Yoga founder Michael DeCorte suggests these five yoga poses to help maintain kidney health and build overall body strength while you're at it. Go through the gallery above for each pose.

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