Yoga for Diabetes: Try these 5 asanas to keep your blood sugar under control
Exercise can be an important part of managing your diabetes. It can help keep your blood sugar levels steady and even help lower your chances of getting the disease in the first place.
Brisk walks, running, and strength training with weights are good choices. So is one that many people may not consider: yoga. According to the researchers, one of the cornerstones of controlling one’s blood sugar is regular and holistic exercise. And yoga is one such ancient measure to effectively control your blood sugar levels. But before we discuss in detail various yoga poses to keep diabetes under control, here’s what you should know about the significance of exercise for diabetics.
Exercise is the key to stay healthy
Diabetes is caused when your blood cells do not respond to the insulin produced in the body. When you follow a regular exercise regimen, your body starts responding to insulin, helping to reduce your blood glucose. Exercise also helps improve blood circulation in your body, particularly in the arms and legs, where diabetic patients most commonly encounter problems. It is an excellent way to fight stress, both at the body and mind level, which in turn helps keep one’s glucose levels down. Here are the top 8 reasons why you should start exercising today.
Lowering stress levels
Stress plays a very important role in the onset and management of diabetes. Therefore, managing stress levels may also help a person manage diabetes.
#Improving emotional well-being
Practicing yoga can help people learn deep breathing skills as well as develop the mind-body connection.
It is a form of mindfulness that helps people stay in the present moment. It may also reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being.
#Protecting heart health
There are many befits of practicing yoga regularly and one of the most important ones amongst these is – yoga manages your heart health.
Yoga to manage diabetes
People have practiced yoga for hundreds of years. Research shows that yoga can help improve your overall quality of life as well as help manage symptoms specific to diabetes.
Yoga is both physical activity and a mental one. The word comes from the Sanskrit word for yoking, or to join or unite. It mixes specific postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.
Regular yoga practice can help reduce the level of sugar in the blood, along with lowering blood pressure, keeping your weight in check, reducing the severity of the symptoms, and slowing the rate of progression of the disease. It also lessens the possibility of further complications.
Yoga and Stress Management
Stress is one of the major reasons for diabetes. It increases the secretion of glucagon (a hormone responsible for increasing blood glucose levels) in the body. The consistent practice of yoga asanas, pranayam, and a few minutes of meditation can help reduce stress in the mind and protect the body from its adverse effects. This, in turn, reducing the amount of glucagon and improve the action of insulin.
Yoga Asanas To Control Diabates
The practice of yoga is also proven to lose weight and slow the process of fat accumulation. Here are a few ways in which yoga helps you to manage your blood sugar:
#Balasana / Child's pose
Known quite aptly as the child s pose this is a great stress buster. It gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles, calms the mind, and helps relieve stress and fatigue. It is also a great remedy for that lower back pain you might have from long hours of sitting.
#Vajrasana/ Thunderbolt Pose, or Diamond Pose
This is a simple pose that is great to relax the mind, improve digestion, and massages the kanda. According to Ayurvedic principles, kanda is a spot about 12 inches above the anus that is the point of convergence for over 72,000 nerves.
#Mountain yoga pose / Tadasana
Stand with the arms at the sides and the feet flat on the floor. The feet can be slightly apart. Tuck the tailbone, which will engage the abdominal, gluteal, and hamstring muscles. Breathe in, extending the arms up and out to the sides with the palms up. Exhale, slowly bringing the arms back down.
#Halasana/ Plow pose
This pose is great for those who sit for long hours and tend to have bad posture. It stimulates the thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, lungs, and abdominal organs, therefore helping the blood rush to your head and face, improves digestion, and keeps the hormonal levels in check.
#Dhanurasana/ Bow pose![Bow Pose]()
This pose is great to strengthen your back and spine, stimulate the reproductive organs, beat stress and fatigue, relieve menstrual pain, and constipation.