Exploring Yoga as a Means for Diabetes Management: Is Yoga Capable of Assisting in Diabetes Regulation and Healing?
Article:
Type 2 Diabetes: Managing and Preventing Through the Practice of Yoga
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has grown significantly due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as sedentary habits and poor dietary practices. However, this form of diabetes is preventable, and its progression can be managed effectively through regular yoga practice.
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels, is often caused by a lack of physical activity and poor dietary habits. The effects of this lifestyle can lead to numerous complications, including neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.
Yoga has been proven by medical science to assist in the prevention and management of certain disease conditions. Its components – exercise and breathing techniques – improve physical strength, promote mental well-being, and stimulate the metabolism while reducing cholesterol levels. With proper guidance from an experienced instructor, yoga can bring about biochemical changes in the body, leading to better outcomes for individuals with diabetes.
One of the primary reasons for the increase in type 2 diabetes is obesity, especially central obesity, which significantly raises the risk of the disease. Research indicates that the regular practice of yoga can have a beneficial effect on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and postprandial blood glucose levels. A 40-day yoga practice saw significant improvements in blood glucose levels for those aged 30-60[1].
Yoga's stimulating effect on the metabolism helps reduce cholesterol levels and positively impacts cardiovascular health. A clinical trial involving 65 participants, aged 35-60, showed that regular yoga practice led to a significant improvement in BMI and blood values[2]. This practice can be beneficial for individuals of all age groups, as demonstrated in a study with young obese participants in Korea[3].
The improvement of cardiovascular health is particularly important for those with diabetes, as they face an increased risk of heart attack and stroke due to complications related to diabetes. Meta-analysis of multiple clinical trials has shown that yoga can reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, while also improving waist circumference, hip-waist ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose levels[4].
Yoga may also help prevent diabetic neuropathy, a significant complication of diabetes. A study published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology demonstrated that yoga done for 40 days might significantly improve nerve conduction[5]. This positive impact could be attributed to the beneficial effects of yoga on blood glucose levels, hormonal levels, metabolism, and potential direct improvements in nerve health.
In conclusion, yoga can be regarded as an adjunct treatment for individuals with diabetes. It can improve a variety of health parameters, promoting both physical and mental health, enhancing sleep quality, reducing blood pressure, and helping manage diabetes more effectively. If practiced regularly over extended periods, yoga may help minimize the risk of diabetes-related complications[6].
Below is a simple and well-balanced sequence that can be beneficial for individuals in the early stages of type 2 diabetes:
- Shavasana - Corpse Pose (5 minutes)
- Anulom Vilom - Alternate Nostril Breathing (5 minutes)
- Surya Namaskara - Sun Salutation (4 rounds)
- Sukha Sarvangasana - Easy Shoulderstand against the wall (1 minute)
- Ardha Setu Bandhasana - Half Bridge Pose (30 seconds)
- Pawan Mukthasana - Air Release Pose (30 seconds)
- Matsyasana - Fish Pose (1 minute)
- Passchimottanasana - Seated Forward Bend (1 minute)
- Bhujangasana - Classical Cobra Pose (30 seconds)
- Vistrit Bhujangasana - Extended Cobra Pose (30 seconds)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana - Half Spinal Twist (1 minute each side)
- Vrkshasana - Tree Pose (30 seconds each side)
- Tadasana - Mountain Pose (1 minute)
- Shavasana - Corpse Pose (10 minutes)
[1] https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/16519085/feedback?url=http://europepmc.org/[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12291-008-0080-9[3] https://synapse.koreamed.org/DOIx.php?id=10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.3.175[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527314003702[5] https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12613392[6] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3b64/d7c8c59e5c8ed6a2b3ce29b6308fc261f5d3.pdf
- Incorporating a regular routine of yoga, which includes exercises and breathing techniques, can help manage the health-and-wellness aspect of type 2 diabetes by improving physical strength, promoting mental well-being, stimulating metabolism, and reducing cholesterol levels – all of which are crucial for maintaining a balanced nutrition and resisting medical-conditions related to diabetes.
- Fitness-and-exercise practices, such as the recommended yoga sequence for individuals in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, might aid in the prevention and progression management of the disease by reducing body weight, body mass index (BMI), and postprandial blood glucose levels, as well as improving cardiovascular health and potentially preventing diabetic neuropathy.
