During Kidney Health Week 5-11th March 2017
By Liz Dawson- Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Self-Acclaimed Broken Record
At risk of sounding like a broken record, exercise really is the key to a better life. There – I’ve said it again but this week, the proof is in the pudding during Kidney Health Week, with research linking obesity to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
We all know that being overweight is bad for our health and most of us would naturally think of our cardiovascular health but what about the heart’s forgotten cousin, the kidneys. What do kidneys even do, after all, can’t you survive with only one?
In actual fact, your kidneys are SO important that you were given two in case one went kaput! Kidneys play a major role in making the body work, they are like turbo cleaners, sorting out the good stuff from the bad stuff and cleaning your blood while they’re at it. They are pretty environmentally friendly little beans too, recycling the good waste from the bad and processing 200 litres of blood around the body. And don’t forget they are the reason we can wee, making urine from the excess fluid and unwanted chemical waste in your blood. So, when none of that works, the body suffers and therein lies the importance of eating well, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly to maintain good kidney and overall health.
In my career as an Exercise Physiologist, I’ve seen my fair share of chronic disease patients and have had the pleasure of helping hundreds of people suffering from diseases like CKD to improve their quality of life through nutrition and exercise. I have also helped many people reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions like CKD through nutrition and exercise by reducing excess weight and improving the blood filtering and metabolic process.
Statistics reveal that 63% of Australians are overweight or obese, putting us at increased risk of kidney disease with projections forecasting the number of people on dialysis and requiring transplants to rise by 60% between 2011 and 2020. (The Australian Kidney Foundation, Kidney Health Report 2017).
The good news is, we can fight the predictors and get onboard the exercise train- aka- the treadmill and improve our kidney health and overall wellbeing. Northside Allied Health have a team of Accredited Exercise Physiologists and Nutritionists that can assist in prevention and management of chronic health diseases, like kidney disease. To find out more visit the website www.northsidealliedhealth.com.au