Can Yoga be a manager for diabetic people ?
High blood pressure, stress, and obesity are common factors in people with diabetes. In
fact,50% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure, which causes greater
diabetes complications. It is important for people with diabetes to have a healthy lifestyle
in order to keep their blood pressure down and their weight down, as well as try to
reduce stress as much as possible. Exercise is the best way to do this, especially low
impact exercise like yoga. As a result, many doctors and diabetes centres are
recommending yoga for diabetes.
A regular yoga practice will not only help keep blood pressure down, but it will also
improve glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose.
Furthermore, insulin can cause weight gain, which is a problem for people with diabetes
(especially Type 2). Although this is a sign that the insulin is working and the diabetes is
under control, it is also a problem, so keeping weight gain at bay is a must. Regular
exercise and eating healthily are key ways to do this. Yoga helps with both of these
things, as it promotes weight loss and mindful eating so it makes sense that yoga is also
great for diabetes.
We can classify Yoga mainly in following 3 types :
● Pranayama
● Yoga Nidra
● Yoga Asanas
How can Yoga Help Fight Diabetes?
Many studies have shown that yoga (both asanas and meditations) is a great option for
helping to fight diabetes. It can reduce high blood sugar levels and help blood glucose
control. In addition, yoga helps to control stress, which also helps to decrease elevated
blood sugar levels. Asanas, pranayama(breathing exercises) and meditation is an easy
and economical way to help fight diabetes. Not only does it aid in glycaemic control, but
it also improves the overall quality of life. Furthermore, yoga helps reduce the risk of
cardiovascular diseases, which may then reduce insulin resistance syndrome. Insulin
resistance syndrome means that your body is not responding to the insulin that it
naturally makes, which causes an increase in blood sugar level. This can then result in
type 2 diabetes. The idea is to help regulate stress hormones, as this will help with both
blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Even after doing just one yoga session
there will be a reduction in blood glucose
levels. In fact, a study that was performed
in India by Dr. Venugopal Vijayakumar
showed that there were visible changes
seen in people with diabetes after just 10
days of yoga practice. His research also showed that yoga helped to reduce stress
hormones and inflammation, which reduces insulin resistance. He found that people with
diabetes who brought yoga into their everyday lives would find it extremely beneficial.
