An Introduction To The Benefits Of Yoga For Diabetes

Introduction

Did you know that yoga can help regulate blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity? it can. This may seem strange to a lot of people, but if you will open your mind to a-not-so-new idea, you could change your life. I am asking you to think of yoga as medicine. You might be surprised to discover that yoga could change the trajectory of diabetes for you, as It has for me.

The benefits of yoga for diabetes

Yoga can have incredible benefits for those with diabetes. A regular practice of yoga can increase strength, willpower, circulation, mental, and overall health. Yoga has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation (more on that later.)

1. Improves circulation

One major problem that many diabetics face is poor circulation. Even if you are regularly exercising,, high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the lining of your blood vessels. If not addressed, this can (and often does) result in possible amputations of extremities such as toes and even feet. By regularly practicing yoga, however, you can not only maintain but improve circulation. Because muscles are stretched and relaxed during yoga asanas (poses), blood flow is increased. Several medical professionals are realizing this and yoga is now considered to be an excellent medicine for diabetes.

2. Lowers stress

Another way that yoga can benefit those with diabetes is by lowering stress. Because our lives are so busy, we often find it hard to pause for a moment to just breathe and enjoy being with ourselves. But during a yoga practice, that’s exactly what happens. A recent article published in Phycology Today “found that yoga significantly reduced feelings of stress and improved feelings of well-being.”

My experience

Personally, after practicing yoga just over a year, I have noticed incredible results. Before starting yoga I struggled with feeling at peace, poor circulation, and I wasn’t even able to touch my toes. After just over one year of regular yoga practice, however, I now have much greater feelings of wellbeing and I am much more flexible. Not to say that I am an advanced yogi, by any means, but I have certainly experienced remarkable change.

Results are different for everyone, and you will more than likely notice different correlations between managing your diabetes and practicing yoga than I have. I’m not promising you will experience a radical overnight transformation after one day of yoga. But I can say with certainty that practically everyone can benefit from yoga in some way; especially those with diabetes.

Before I continue, I would like to take some time to address s few misconceptions surrounding yoga.

Misconceptions about yoga

1. Yoga is religious

When many people think of yoga, an image like the one above might come to mind. There is a common misconception that yoga is something for Hindu monks and really spiritual people. The truth is that while yoga can have spiritual benefits in the right contextt for people with an open mind, doing yoga is in no way a “religious ritual”. Muslims, Christians, Buddhist, and atheist all participate in yoga classes all around the world.

If you are worried about going to a yoga class because you don’t want to participate in any meditation or mindfulness exercises, don’t let that deter you. Nobody minds if you don’t participate in exercises like “Ommmms”. The physical benefits alone are worth spending some time doing yoga.

2. Yoga is only for athletes and flexible people

Many people are afraid to try yoga because they think that they aren’t flexible or strong enough. An image like the one above can be intimidating. This is one thing that kept me from trying yoga for a long time. But once I realized that yoga can be modified and adjusted for any skill level, I gave it a try. And guess what? I reaped enormous benefits, despite my poor flexibility and balance at the time.

In fact, if you aren’t flexible, yoga will most likely have more benefits for you than someone who is already super flexible. The same applies to age. At 16, I enjoy yoga, as do people in their eighties and nineties. Don’t let your fear of failure stop you from doing something amazing for yourself.

What does the science say?

So this all sounds great, but is there any evidence?

A recent study published in the national library of medicine stated that “The regular practice of yoga reduces the risk of diabetes-related complications. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is believed to be a cause of sudden death in patients with diabetes mellitus. Clinical studies have shown that regular yoga practice improved cardiac autonomic function independently of glycemic control and reduced the risk of cardiovascular events.”

Additionally, Doctor Timothy McCall, in his book Yoga As Medicine says that, “Daily asana classes of thirty to forty minutes in different studies were found to result in significant decreases in fasting blood sugars, blood sugar after meals, hemoglobin A1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as improved sensitivity to insulin.”

Get started today

I would encourage you not to take my word or that of the scientists listed above, but rather, to try it for yourself. Find out if a yoga practice can benefit you. My life has been changed by it, and I think yours could be to.

Find a class to go to and sign up. There are yoga studios in virtually every town or city, many of which offer great classes. There are also several convenient apps that you can use to practice at home. This is generally my preferred method. Every morning at 4:30a.m. I am able to get between twenty and thirty minutes of yoga without even leaving my house. Personally, I use Downdog, but there are many great options out there.

Conclusion: An Introduction To The Benefits Of Yoga For Diabetes

I hope that you have found value in this post, and that you perhaps have a different view of yoga than you did before. For diabetics (like myself), yoga is an amazing tool of health. With discipline and an open mind, you can use this tool to change your life.

Find More Posts