The Yoga Diabetes Connection: Why This Workout Helps

In the event you’ve ever talked to your doctor or read an article about managing blood sugar levels, it’s likely you’ve heard that exercise plays a very important role. Probably the greatest ways to do this is to get out your yoga mat: Although any form of movement is beneficial, research shows that practicing yoga particularly for even a number of minutes per day could help keep your blood sugar levels where you would like them.

Why you would like to keep your blood sugar in check

Quick science lesson: After we eat, most of that food gets broken down into sugar (or glucose), which is then released into our bloodstream. When our blood sugar levels rise, our pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that permits the cells in our body to make use of that sugar for energy.

But in case your body is continually overloaded with an excessive amount of sugar in your bloodstream, you’ll be able to develop a condition called insulin resistance. On this case, your cells stop responding to insulin and you find yourself with an excessive amount of sugar staying in your bloodstream. Over time, this could result in a number of health problems like diabetes, heart disease, vision loss, nerve damage and kidney disease.

Luckily, there are methods to get ahead of blood sugar issues and diabetes, and probably the greatest ways is thru physical activity.

“There is powerful data in individuals with diabetes that exercise or physical activity…improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control,” says Chhaya Makhija, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist, lifestyle medicine specialist, and founding father of Unified Endocrine and Diabetes Care.

“For adults with diabetes, the recommendations from the American Diabetes Association are to interact in 150 minutes or more of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week opened up over no less than three days per week, with not more than two consecutive days without activity.”

How yoga can profit your blood sugar

Yoga is an ancient practice originating from Hinduism in India. Yoga “asana,” or postures, is usually what you’d practice in a yoga class at your local studio or gym. Asana is just one in every of the eight limbs of yoga, which incorporates others like meditation (dhyana), and breathwork (pranayama).

Traditionally, yoga is used as a tool to encourage union between the mind and body. So, unsurprisingly, many yoga postures and practices are known to be especially useful with regards to managing certain health conditions.

A growing body of research shows that yoga can have some specific advantages for blood sugar management and diabetes. One 2014 study including over 11,000 people found that just three months of a yoga-based lifestyle intervention was related to remission of prediabetes and prevention of diabetes.

A 2018 review of studies found that practices like surya namaskar (sun salutations) were tied to lower blood sugar levels, likely because they improve your body’s ability to make use of sugar for energy by improving muscular strength, flexibility, and endurance. Seated postures (like half lord of the fishes and frog pose) and forward bends were related to higher pancreatic function. The researchers concluded this was probably because these poses help massage the pancreas and stimulate the secretion of insulin.

The role of stress and mood

Managing stress is one other key factor with regards to blood sugar management and diabetes. In response to the 2018 review, psychological stress increases the danger and severity of diabetes by stimulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a hormonal pathway within the body that regulates processes like digestion, immunity, mood, and sexuality. Chronic activation of the HPA axis has been related to poor blood sugar control and complications in individuals with diabetes, equivalent to diabetic neuropathy.

That is one other area by which yoga may be helpful. “Yoga just isn’t just physical movement—it also includes respiration exercises called pranayama yoga, meditation, and the practice of mindfulness,” Dr. Makhija points out. “These practices have been shown to stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system (calming nervous system) which helps us address psychological stress. Implementing positive healthy behaviors, improving social connection in addition to connection to the self can have widespread health advantages in individuals with diabetes.”

Tips on how to start

As all the time, refer to your doctor before starting any latest exercise plan to make sure it’s protected for you. But so long as you may have the all-clear, the nice news is that you just don’t should sweat in your mat for an hour to reap these advantages. The 2018 review showed that even just 10 minutes a day of yoga practice can have a positive effect on blood sugar and stress levels, and even reduce your risk of diabetes and diabetes-related complications, like hypertension and neuropathy.

You may start with 10 minutes per day of yoga asana (postures) like sun salutations, or mix up your favorite seated postures, forward bends, or twisting poses. Remember to go at your personal pace and modify any postures as needed. Or, simply begin with pranayama (respiration) exercises like alternate nostril respiration or chanting a mantra like “Aum.”

You too can follow together with this mood-boosting 15-minute flow: 

Whichever practice (or combination of practices) you select, crucial thing is knowing that good health doesn’t should be complicated—sometimes it’s so simple as carving out 10 minutes a day simply to tune in to your body.