How Yoga Can Help Manage Diabetes

Yoga can benefit people with diabetes, as certain poses can help improve blood circulation, may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. For these reasons, many medical professional recommend yoga to help manage diabetes. It has been stated by Healthline and other sources, that regularly practicing yoga can even reduce the risk of any further complications of diabetes, such as heart disease.

Keep reading to find out how yoga can help with managing diabetes. In addition, find out which 5 yoga poses can help improve blood circulation and may help with managing diabetes.

For further information on the benefits and effects of yoga on diabetes, please click on the following link: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/yoga-for-diabetes#legsupthewall-pose

Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Diabetes

  1. Lowers stress levels
  2. Can help with lowering blood sugar levels
  3. Improves blood circulation
  4. May help lower blood pressure
  5. Boosts strength and balance which may help reduce liver fat and help regulate glucose level
  6. Protects heart health
  7. May lower risk of future complications such as heart disease
  8. Can help with emotional stability and reduce anxiety

For further scientific and clinical research about the benefits of yoga for diabetes, please click on the following link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317381

5 Top Yoga Poses for Diabetes

Keep on reading to find out which yoga poses are beneficial for diabetes! For best results, it is recommended to practice these poses multiple times per week for up to 1-3 minutes per pose.

Upward Facing Dog: Stretches chest, lungs, abdomens, shoulders; Strengthens arms, wrists and spine; Improves circulation and blood flow.

Woman performing Upward Facing Dog pose to improve circulation.

How to get into pose:

  1. Start by laying on your stomach on the floor
  2. Keep your legs grounded, with tops of the feet touching the ground
  3. Place your palms just below your shoulders, close to your rib cage
  4. Press into the palms of the hands, spreading the weight equally
  5. Take a deep breath and lift your chest up and try to lift knees off mat
  6. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, relax the shoulders down
  7. Keep your gaze forward and stay here for a few deep breaths

Modifications:

  • Keep your knees on the ground
  • Place a towel under your lower abdomen for extra cushion
  • Place a towel on your knees for extra support
  • keep your elbows bent
  • Keep your chest closer to the ground if you can’t come up all the way

Bow Pose: Stretches the entire front of the body, builds strength in the back, and improves circulation.

Woman in Bow Pose, stretching the front of the body.

How to get into pose:

  1. Start on your belly facing down. Bend your knees, and bring the soles of your feet as close to the bum as possible
  2. Grab the feet with your palms, while keeping the knees hip distance apart
  3. Take a deep inhale, and bring your chest up. Draw the shoulders blades closer to one another and relax the shoulders down
  4. Take another deep inhale and kick your legs up and away from your bum into your full bow expression
  5. Stay here for a few deep and slow breaths. It may feel like your breathing is constricted, try to deepen your breath and stay calm
  6. To come out of the pose, lower your chest down on your exhale first and then slowly lower your knees on the ground, releasing the soles of your feet down

Modifications:

  • Bend one knee at a time (instead of bending both) and do half bow pose. For instance, if you are bending your right leg to your bum, place your left palm in front of you and pressing into the hand while you lift the knee up and away from you.
  • Place a strap or rolled up towel on your foot and use the strap to lift up one knee at a time or both knees

Seated Forward Bend: Helps relieve stress and anxiety, stimulates liver and kidneys, stretches spine, lower back and hamstrings, and improves blood circulation.

Woman in a calming Seated Forward Bend pose.

How to get into this pose:

  1. Start in a seated position
  2. Extend both legs out, keeping your toes facing upward
  3. Ensure both sitting bones are on the ground
  4. Take a deep inhale, bring your arms up and as you exhale reach your arms forward, allowing them to drop either on your toes, ankles, thighs (or wherever they fall)
  5. Try to keep your back straight, shoulder relaxed down, belly in.
  6. Use your inhale to lengthen through your back and spine, and use your exhale to go deeper into the pose

Modification

  • Bend your knees as much as you need to
  • Place a strap or rolled up towel on the arches of your feet, and use that as an extension
  • Place a block, pillow or bolster under your hips for extra support. This will help to relieve tension from the lower back and hamstrings

The Reclining Bound Ankle Pose: Improves blood circulation, soothes nervous system and relieves stress, stretches hips, groin, knees, and inner thighs.

Woman relaxing in Reclining Bound Ankle Pose with a bolster for support.

How to get into this pose:

  1. Begin in a seated position and place a pillow or bolster directly under your back
  2. Bring the palms of your feet together, opening up your knees.
  3. Bring your arms behind you and slowly walk your torso down to the ground, until it reaches the pillow or bolster
  4. Place your right hand on your stomach and your left palm on your heart
  5. Stay here for a few deep and grounding breaths
  6. To come out from this pose, press on to your forearms first, slowly pressing yourself up onto your palms and gently return back to seated

Modification

  • Place 2 blocks or pillows on either side of the your knees in order to support your knees and alleviate the intensity of the pose

Plow Pose: Soothes and calms nervous system, stretches the spine, lower back and shoulders, improves blood circulation, stimulates thyroid, and lessens headaches.

Woman performing Plow Pose to stretch the spine and shoulders.

How to get into this pose:

  1. Start on your back and bring your legs up towards the ceiling
  2. On your inhale bring your legs over head and place your hands on your lower back for support
  3. Bring the shoulder blades closer to one another and bring your elbows parallel to each other
  4. Try to bring the toes or the tops of your feet on the floor
  5. Stay here for a few deep and calming breaths, allowing the body to open up and stretch

Modification

  • Rest your feet on top of a bolster, pillow or chair

Bottom Line

Yoga has been scientifically proven to help manage diabetes, and is increasingly recommended by health professionals. I hope you find this article helpful and feel inspired to give yoga and the poses noted above a shot.