The pancreas is one organ people rarely think about until there’s a problem. By then, it may be too late. That is why you have to take good care of your pancreas. Taking care of your pancreas would help to prevent a lot of health issues, which would help keep you healthy in the long run. Part of what you can do includes eating right and doing certain exercises, targeted at the pancreas. In today’s post, we would be focusing on exercises for a healthy pancreas. Before we proceed, let us look at what the pancreas is and its function in the body.
What Is The Pancreas?
The pancreas is an organ located in the abdomen, just behind the stomach. It is surrounded by other organs, including the small intestine and liver. It measures up to 10 inches long and spreads horizontally across the abdomen.
The pancreas houses the exocrine glands, where most of the enzymes important for digestion are produced. These enzymes help break down food, helping the body digest carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
The pancreas also plays a big role in regulating blood sugar. Two main pancreatic hormones include insulin, which helps lower blood sugar, and glucagon, which raises blood sugar levels. That is why people with diabetes are advised to take proper care of their pancreas.
For an organ that plays important roles, keeping it healthy is something you should ensure to do. Inflammation in the pancreas could lead to problems that could affect its functions. If the inflammation is left unchecked, it could lead to pancreatitis.
Like we stated above, taking care of your pancreas involves a lot, including what you eat. But in this article, we would be looking for exercises to keep your pancreas healthy.
Exercises For A Healthy Pancreas
Physical exercises have a lot of impact on our health. They do not only help build muscles or lose weight but also affect our internal organs as well, like the pancreas. The good thing is exercises for the pancreas are not strenuous and do not require you to hit the gym, meaning you can carry them out from anywhere. Let us look at some of them
1. Walking
Walking is the most basic form of physical exercise, but it has a lot of benefits. Walking helps keep the body active and stimulates the organs. If you are someone who drives around a lot, then walking for 45 minutes a day, interrupted, would do your pancreas a lot of good.
2. Running
Running is another exercise with a lot of benefits. Running would get your heart pumping and increase your heart rate for some time. You can start slow and steady increase your pace as time goes on.
3. Stretching
Stretching can do a lot of good for your internal organs, including your pancreas. You can do a side stretch, which involves stretching from side to side. You should endeavour to stretch as much as you can. If you are into yoga, then you would know a few more stretch poses you can try.
