Yoga for Diabetes
Yoga and Diabetes go hand in hand when it comes to their age. Both have been around for years. A few years ago, research proved that yoga is great for diabetes.
Yoga cannot be treated as a cure for diabetes, but it can be a method for controlling it.
Diabetes impairs the body from utilizing glucose which an important source of energy. The body is unable to control the quantity of sugar in the blood due to insufficient amount of insulin produced by the pancreas.
Diabetes leads to several other disorders like kidney damage, liver damage, eyes, stroke, heart disorders and even gangrene. Exercise has always been a recommendation by physicians all over the world. But now yoga for diabetes is one of the best possible remedy to control it.
How does yoga work in treating diabetes?
Several yoga asanas along with the regular mediatation and relaxation exercises have been used to treat different body disorders.
It is important for a diabetic patient to maintain a certain body weight, along with their blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels. Yoga fights body weight and helps maintain the blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels.
Certain yoga poses are known to stimulate the internal organs. Pancreas is one of them and when it is stimulated it enhances insulin production which is vital for diabetes.
The breathing exercises practiced in yoga have been known to improve blood circulation. This helps in better circulation of oxygen in the blood. This in turn imports sugar quickly into the cells. The breathing exercises also reduce stress levels which has an impact on the blood pressure. The greater the stress, the higher the blood pressure thus yoga controls blood pressure by controlling your stress levels.
Yoga relaxes the muscles and improves blood supply which in turn increases the expression of insulin receptors. This enhances the muscles to take up more glucose and reduces blood sugar. Yoga also reduces bad cholesterol and increases the production of good cholesterol. It helps remove fatty acids from the blood.
Exercise increases the muscle mass hence there is more muscle for glucose uptake and since the fat is burned during exercising, there is no fat to interrupt the process.
So now you know how yoga aids in controlling diabetes.
Yoga asanas for diabetes
Several asanas of yoga act as stress busters and fight body disorders. Some asanas are effective in controlling diabetes. They are:
- Sun salutations
- Mountain pose
- Lotus pose
- Bow pose
- Backward bends
- Triangle pose
- Easy seat pose
- Bellow breathing exercise
- Seated forward bend
- Half lord of the fishes pose
- Wind releasing pose
- Cobra pose
- Diamond or thunderbolt pose
- Corpse pose
- Dahn yoga (Korean yoga)
These are some of the recommended poses for a diabetic. The last form of yoga called the Dahn yoga is a Korean yoga which includes tai chi, martial arts and yoga in general. It is known to be an effective yoga for diabetes.
As a diabetic it is important to consult your doctor before practicing any form of exercise. It is also important to start practicing yoga under the supervision of an instructor.
So now you all the information required for yoga for diabetes. It is important to put it to practice at least few times a week to start controlling your diabetes.
