Moving Towards a Better You

The goal of being more active and leaving the sedentary lifestyle which was once a way of life only a few months ago was paramount when I was thinking of what I wanted to accomplish in 2024. Seeing time and time again that I had logged less than 1,000 steps in a day was disheartening to say the least. Not exercising regularly left me feeling weak and tired, higher blood pressure than normal, muscle atrophy, and I also believe it resulted in higher levels of anxiety. The more I read and research, it has become evident that exercise is not something I should be doing, but rather exercise is something I MUST do.

As someone who is living with CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease), movement is vital. An article in PubMed states “The effects of exercise on kidney function have been studied for more than three decades. One of the most common health issues among patients with CKD is a lack of physical activity, which leads to a low exercise capacity in these patients.” Comorbidity such as cardiovascular disease can also increase as a lack of exercise.

A study co-authored by Dong Hoon Lee of Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health published on July 25, 2002, which was published in the journal Circulation, analyzed 30 years of medical records and mortality data from more than 100,000 adults enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. “Researchers found that people who followed the minimum guidelines for physical activity — 150 - 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 - 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity — reduced their risk of early death by as much as 21%. But people who exercised from two to four times the minimum were able to lower their risk by as much as 31%”

In one of the best books I read over the holiday season, Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia states that exercise is “The Most Powerful Longevity Drug”. He writes “…if exercise is not a part of your life at the moment, you are not alone — 77 percent of the US population is like you. Going from zero weekly exercise to just ninety minutes per week can reduce your risk of dying from all causes by 14 percent. It’s very hard to find a drug that can do that.”

Please remember, I am not a medical professional, nor is any of this medical advice. I am just out here living A Kidney Life.