Jump jacks exercise better for kidneys than 2 hours of walking

Instead of 2 hours of insufficiently intense walking, a Taiwanese expert recommends 20 minutes of daily jump jacks to promote blood circulation in renal glomeruli.

Taiwan currently faces a significant health challenge, with approximately 2 million people suffering from chronic kidney disease and nearly 100,000 patients undergoing dialysis, according to China Times. Addressing this, Dr. Hung Yung-hsiang, a nephrologist at Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan, emphasizes the importance of maintaining moderate or higher intensity aerobic exercise for 30 minutes daily, at least 5 days a week, alongside nutritional control to protect kidney function.

Speaking on the talk show "The Big Bang of the Universe", Dr. Hung explained that the kidneys are composed of countless renal glomeruli, structured as tiny bundles of capillaries. Numerous scientific studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise not only improves overall cardiopulmonary function but also effectively promotes blood circulation within these renal glomeruli, thereby protecting and enhancing kidney health.

Jump Jacks exercise requires participants to jump, spread their legs, and raise their arms overhead. Illustration: Ritfit

Dr. Hung stated that studies indicate effective kidney protection requires regular, continuous physical activity for at least 5 days a week at a moderate intensity, enough to leave one slightly out of breath. Suitable activities include cycling, dancing, Jump Jacks, or very slow jogging.

With 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Hung emphasizes that ordinary walking lacks sufficient intensity, making 2 hours of daily walking unlikely to yield significant kidney protection. For individuals with busy schedules, he recommends performing approximately 200 Jump Jacks in 20 minutes daily at home. This exercise, involving jumping with feet spread and arms raised overhead, helps stimulate blood circulation and maintain excretory system health.

Many office workers, the expert observed, tend to condense their exercise into weekends to offset weekday inactivity. However, studies indicate that such prolonged gaps between workouts do not offer optimal kidney protection. For individuals with demanding schedules, including Dr. Hung who frequently attends to patients and struggles to find 30 minutes of free time, Jump Jacks present an effective alternative.