Staying Active with Diabetes: How Yoga for Diabetes Can Help

Exercise is a crucial part of any successful diabetes management strategy. When you get enough physical activity each day, you’ll find it easier to keep your blood sugar in check. Of course, activities like strength training and jogging are obvious ways to get more exercise. But many people with diabetes have begun to ask, “can yoga help with diabetes?”

The answer is an emphatic “yes.” Along with the health benefits associated with any physical activity, following a yoga regimen could help you deal with the stress related to diabetes management. If you have type 2/type 1 diabetes and yoga sounds like something you might enjoy, keep reading for the information you need on starting a yoga routine. You’ll even find step-by-step instructions for a few of the best yoga poses for diabetes.

Research behind yoga for diabetes

It’s easy to claim that yoga can help people with diabetes live their best lives. Still, any meaningful answer to the question “is yoga good for diabetes?” should be backed up by hard research. The good news is that scientific evidence points to a concrete link between diabetes and yoga benefits.

According to a 2015 study that appeared in the Journal of Diabetes Research, practicing yoga can provide significant health benefits for adults managing type 2 diabetes. That includes improvements in:

• Lipid levels
• Blood glucose levels
• Body composition

Another study found that adding 10-minute seated yoga sessions to “standard” diabetes management strategies improved people’s diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and fasting blood sugar levels. Research even suggests that yoga could help prevent the development of diabetes among people with a high type 2 risk.

Benefits of yoga

Whether or not you have diabetes, yoga is a wonderful way to improve your health. Regularly doing yoga can help you:

• Reduce chronic pain
• Gain more muscle tone and strength
• Balance your metabolism
• Improve your circulatory health
• Become more flexible
• Lose weight
• Manage stress more effectively

How yoga can help with diabetes

While all the perks listed above could technically fall into the category of diabetes and yoga benefits, some are especially significant to diabetes patients. You should know that doing yoga for diabetes can:

• Protect your heart health. Diabetes can cause all kinds of problems related to your cardiovascular system, ranging from high blood pressure to an increased risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association has stated that yoga can help people reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Improve your strength and balance. According to a study from 2019, building strength may enhance blood glucose levels in people dealing with diabetes and obesity. Along with this, strength training via yoga could help people with diabetes manage the effects of peripheral neuropathy.
• Enhance your mental well-being. Diabetes can contribute to depression, anxiety, and diabetes distress (a mental health condition linked to the unique stressors that come with managing this disease). But stress can make it harder to control your blood sugar levels, so it’s good to know how to deal with it. A yoga routine will teach you about deep breathing techniques and improve your mind-body connection.
• Help you lose extra pounds. Obesity is the most significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and losing weight can help people prevent and manage this condition. Along with its other health benefits, yoga can assist in weight loss.

Getting started

Some forms of yoga are more intense than others, and if you don’t already have experience with yoga, it’s best to start slow. People interested in yoga and diabetes should begin by looking for beginner’s classes led by qualified professionals. Some medical centers and hospitals even offer free yoga classes created with diabetes management in mind.

Along with yoga classes, you can practice yoga on your own by finding tutorials and videos online. While most forms of yoga are safe to do by yourself, it’s best to bring any concerns you have to your healthcare team. That’s especially true for hot yoga and other vigorous yoga forms, which may not be suitable for some people with diabetes.

As with any other type of physical activity, there are certain precautions people with diabetes should take before doing yoga. While yoga instructors often encourage students not to eat before a class, having a small snack ahead of time may be in your best interest (especially if you take insulin). You should also steer clear of inverted poses that involve putting your head below your heart.

Yoga poses for diabetes

To help you get started, here are several basic yoga poses that are great for diabetes management:

Mountain pose

1. Start by standing with your feet flat and your arms at your sides. (It’s okay if your feet are slightly apart for this pose.)

1. Tuck your tailbone, engaging your hamstring, gluteal, and abdominal muscles in the process.

1. While inhaling, turn your palms up and move your arms up and to the sides.

1. Bring your arms back down as you breathe out.

Bridge pose

1. Begin by lying on your back. Keep your feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor, and bend your knees.

1. Push your heels into the yoga mat and bring your tailbone up, bringing your lower back and hips off the mat.

1. Bring your hands under your hips and let your fingers interlock.

1. Hold your back and bottom up with your hamstrings, glutes, and abdomen. Then, bring your hands apart and gradually lower your tailbone.

Tree pose

1. Before doing this pose, ensure your right foot is flat on the floor and your left foot is pointed with just the toes on the floor.

1. Bring up your left knee and swing it to the side.

1. Put the bottom of your left foot on the inside of your other leg (below the knee, if you’re new to yoga).

1. Put your hands in front of your chest and bring them together, or balance by holding onto a chair or wall if needed.

1. After a few seconds, return to your original position and repeat this pose with your other leg.

Manage diabetes with yoga – and US MED

If you have diabetes, it’s wise to get regular physical activity as part of your efforts to manage this condition. Yoga for diabetes is a fantastic way to improve your physical and mental health. Even if you haven’t thought about yoga and diabetes before now, this could very well be worth your while.

Though your new yoga routine should give you added peace of mind, you can cut down on stress even further by finding a reliable company for your diabetes supply needs. US MED has more than 20 years of experience in this industry, and our reputation is backed up by some impressive credentials – including an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Shop for CGMs, glucose meters, and much more at US MED today!