5 Yoga Poses for Healthier Kidneys

Try these easy and effective yoga poses to prevent kidney stones, and kidney cancer.

Try these yoga poses for healthier kidneys.

(Photo: iStock)

Kidneys are the bean-shaped organs positioned in the right and left quadrants of the lower abdomen and perform various important functions like eliminating toxins, maintaining fluid levels, acid-base balance, and regulating blood pressure. The kidneys also help maintain a state of internal balance and equilibrium in the cells and tissues of the body. These functions make it crucial to safeguard the kidneys to prevent kidney stones, chronic kidney failure, and other renal disorders.

Lifestyle changes, dietary habits, and fluid intake make a huge difference. But here are a few yoga poses that can be performed at home without any risk. They can help prevent kidney stones and maintain healthy kidneys.

1. Sphinx Pose 

This gentle backbend pose strengthens the spine and buttocks. It helps relax your chest, shoulders, and abdomen.

It helps manage stress and focuses on muscles like the erector spinal, gluteal muscles, pectoralis major, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi.

Follow the steps here:

Lie on your stomach and extend your legs behind you.

• Make sure the muscles of your lower back, buttocks, and thighs are well-engaged.

• Place your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor and your palms facing down.

• Now gently lift up your upper torso and head.

• Slowly lift and engage your lower abdominals to provide support to your back.

• Lift up through your spine and out through the crown of your head, do not collapse on your lower back.

• Relax in this pose fully, while you remain active and engaged.

• Hold this pose for up to 5 minutes.

2. Cobra Pose 

This stretches your abdomen, chest, and shoulders. It strengthens your spine and may soothe sciatica. It helps the muscle groups: hamstrings, gluteus maximus, deltoids, triceps, and serratus anterior.

Follow the steps:

• Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulders and your fingers facing forward.

• Draw your arms to your chest and your elbows should not go out to the side.

• Press into your hands and slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders.

• Lift partway, halfway, or all the way up.

• Slightly bend your elbows.

• Let your head drop back to deepen the pose.

• Release back down to your mat and breathe out.

• Bring your arms by your side and rest your head.

• Slowly move your hips from side to side to release tension from your lower back.

3. Bridge Pose 

The bridge pose helps regulate blood pressure. It calms the brain and alleviates stress. It is beneficial in managing mild depression and is good for abdominal organs, lungs, menstrual pain, fatigue, headache, and anxiety as well.

• Lie on your back, place your hands at your sides, bend your knees, and your feet should be flat on the floor close to your butt.

• Press into your feet while you lift your hips and torso to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

• Hold the pose for up to 30 seconds, then lower your hips to the floor.

4. Boat Pose 

The position of your neck during Boat Pose has a positive effect on the thyroid glands in the human body as well. It helps:

• Tone the muscles of the abdomen

• Strengthen the lower back

• Opens the chest and engages the core muscles

• Strengthens the hip flexors and adductor muscles

• Stretches the hamstrings

• Alleviate tightness in the hamstrings

To practice this pose, you will have to sit on the floor and extend your legs in front of you. Place your hands on the floor beside you, and let your upper body lean back slightly. Make sure your spine is straight and your chin is tucked in toward your chest.

Slowly try to balance on your two sitting bones and tailbone. Bend your knees before you lift your legs in the air and straighten your legs.

5. Reclining Butterfly Pose

The reclining butterfly is a yoga pose that is a variation of the basic butterfly yoga posture. This helps the body relax and to get into rest mode. You will have to lie down flat on your back, you can use a bed or a mat. Then slowly bring your feet together, spread out the knees in a diamond shape, then bring one hand to your heart and the other to your stomach. Inhale deeply.