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Effective Yoga Poses for Diabetes Management | Improve Blood Sugar Levels

Updated on: Apr 01, 2024
11 min Read
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Medically Reviewed

Dr. Anuradha Mandlekar

Head, Department of Physiotherapy
yoga for diabetes
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How often have people mentioned, “Do yoga for diabetes; it will help you,” especially regarding type 2 diabetes? This leads to an intriguing question: “Is yoga good for type 2 diabetes?”

Indeed, considerable evidence supports yoga’s positive impact on h. Yoga, encompassing both physical postures and a holistic lifestyle, significantly manages and prevents diabetes.

It aids in weight management, improves blood sugar control, reduces stress, and enhances flexibility.

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s see how incorporating yoga into our everyday lives can help prevent and manage diabetes.

 

Yoga as a Lifestyle Tip for Yoga for Diabetes Prevention and Management

Adopting yoga as part of your lifestyle can be transformative, especially for diabetes management and prevention. Here’s why:

  • Mindful Eating: Yoga encourages mindfulness, which can positively impact your eating habits and help regulate yoga for diabetes.
  • Reduce Stress: Regular yoga practice reduces stress, which is crucial for yoga for diabetes management since stress can spike blood sugar levels.
  • Daily Practice: Incorporating yoga for diabetes into your daily routine can yield significant health benefits, even if you practice it for a short duration each day.
  • Hydration: Staying hydrated is vital for metabolic health, reinforcing the benefits of yoga for diabetes.
  • Quality Sleep: Improved sleep is another benefit of regular yoga for diabetes, which is essential for balancing blood sugar levels.

Following these lifestyle tips, let’s move on to specific yoga poses beneficial for diabetes.

13 Yoga Poses/Asanas for Diabetes that can Help You

1. Viprita Karani or Leg up the Wall Pose

Viprita Karani yoga pose for diabetes

This is an inversion pose that’s perfect for helping you relax. Performing this yoga pose for diabetes under supervision is also known to help lower stress, which, in turn, helps lower your blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

The leg-up-the-wall yoga pose for diabetes also helps relieve headaches and increase circulation.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Lay down with your tail-bone perpendicular to a wall
  • Relax – chin, throat & neck.
  • Stretch your arms out to the sides with your palms facing up.
  • Raise your legs against the wall
  • Remain like this for 5 to 15 minutes.
  • Release by slowly sliding your legs down to the side.

2. Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose

Supta Baddha Konasana yoga pose for diabetes

Perfect for calming you down, this yoga pose for diabetes is also perfect to help beat any stress you might be feeling. Because of this, performing this pose can help lower our blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

Apart from that, this yoga pose for diabetes also helps stimulate your abdominal organs, bladder and kidneys – all of with can improve their functioning.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Sit down in padmasana, bring the soles of your feet together with your knees pointing outwards.
  • Next, slowly lean back until your back is flat on the floor and relax the area around your hips.Rest your hands alongside your body with your palms facing up.
  • Stay in this pose for up to 10 minutes.
  • To get up, slowly bring your knees together, turn to your side, and use your hands to push up into an upright sitting position.

3. Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend:

Paschimottanasana yoga pose for diabetes

A therapeutic forward bends pose, paschimottanasana is a perfect yoga pose for diabetes. It can help lower blood pressure, promote weight loss, and relieve anxiety, headaches, and fatigue.

Steps to perform this post:

  • Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
  • Next, bend forward from the hips and slowly move your hands towards your feet.
  • At this point, your torso should fold over your legs and tuck your chin to your chest.
  • Remember to breathe while in this position

4. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana or Upward-facing Dog:

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana yoga pose for diabetes

This backbend puts a significant load on your muscles and, therefore, is perfect to help build muscle mass – which in turn helps you lose weight. This pose also helps lower blood pressure, boost circulation, and stimulate your abdominal organs.

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This is the best yoga pose for diabetes.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Lie down on your stomach with legs extended behind you.
  • Place your palms flat on the floor and keep your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
  • Next, straighten your arms and lift your upper body.
  • Ensure that you keep a slight bend in your elbows to help engage your thighs, arms, and abdominal muscles.
  • Look forward and keep your neck relaxed as you do this pose.

5. Dhanurasana or Bow Pose

Dhanurasana yoga pose for diabetes

This backbend yoga pose for diabetes helps open up your chest and stimulates your abdominal organs. It also helps lower your blood sugar levels, relieve constipation and respiratory ailments.

Steps to perform this yoga pose for diabetes

  • Lie down on your stomach.
  • Keep your arms by your sides, palms up.
  • Bend your knees, reaching hands to your ankles.
  • Grab your ankles and lift your head, chest, and knees up.
  • Take deep breaths, looking straight ahead.
  • Stay like this for up to 30 seconds.
  • Let go and relax as you breathe out.

6. Supta Matsyendrasana or Supine Spinal Twist

Supta Matsyendrasana yoga pose for diabetes

This yoga pose for diabetes is perfect for relieving pain and stiffness in your spine, back, and hips. It is also perfect for helping lower your blood sugar levels and stimulate your abdominal organs.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Lay flat on your back and fold your legs at the knees.
  • Next, extend your arms to your sides with your palms facing down.
  • Then, slowly move your knees to the left side, keeping your knees together and at the hip level.
  • Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then return to the central position.
  • Then repeat on the other side.

7. Kapal Bhati

Kapal Bhati yoga pose for diabetes

This is a breathing method where you breathe out forcefully through your nose and let the breath come back in naturally. It is known for its cleansing and energising effects on the body and mind.

Steps to perform this yoga pose for diabetes

  • Sit comfortably with your legs crossed and keep your spine straight.
  • Take a deep inhalation, filling your lungs completely.
  • Exhale forcefully and quickly through your nose while contracting your abdominal muscles.
  • Allow the inhalation to happen naturally without force.
  • Repeat this process for a desired number of rounds, starting with 20-30 breaths and gradually increasing over time.
  • After completing the rounds, take a few moments to observe the sensations in your body and return to normal breathing.

8. Nauli Kriya

Nauli Kriya

Nauli Kriya is a yogic cleansing technique that involves isolating and contracting the abdominal muscles, creating a rolling motion in the belly. It massages the internal organs and enhances digestion. This is the best yoga pose for diabetes.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
  • Place your hands on your thighs for support.
  • Exhale completely and hold your breath out.
  • Contract your abdominal muscles, starting from the lower abdomen and moving the muscles in a wave-like motion to the right, center, and left.
  • Try to isolate the muscle movement and create a rolling sensation in the belly.
  • Release the contraction and take a deep breath in.
  • Repeat this practice for a few rounds, gradually increasing the number of repetitions as you progress.

9. Supta Hastapadasana

Supta Hastapadasana yoga pose for diabetes

Also known as the Supine Hand to Foot Pose, it is a relaxing forward fold that stretches the back of the body, including the hamstrings and calves.

Steps to perform this yoga pose for diabetes

  • Lie down on your back with your legs together and arms resting beside your body.
  • Take a deep inhalation.
  • Exhale and slowly lift your legs off the ground, keeping them straight.
  • Continue exhaling as you gently bring your legs toward your upper body, reaching for your toes or holding onto your ankles.
  • Keep your spine and neck relaxed on the ground.
  • Hold this position for a few breaths, enjoying the stretch.
  • To release, inhale and slowly lower your legs back to the ground.

10. Yog Mudra (Forward Fold in Vajrasana)

Yog Mudra yoga pose for diabetes

It is a forward fold variation performed while sitting in Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose). It stretches the spine, shoulders, and hamstrings while promoting relaxation.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Begin by sitting in Vajrasana with your knees and feet together and your buttocks resting on your heels.
  • Place your hands on your thighs.
  • Inhale deeply, lengthening your spine.
  • Exhale and slowly fold forward from your hips, walking your hands forward on the floor.
  • Allow your forehead to rest on the ground or on a prop if needed.
  • Relax your shoulders and let your spine gently stretch.
  • Stay in this position for a few breaths, focusing on deep, slow breathing.
  • To release, inhale and slowly come back up to an upright position.

11. Marichasana

Marichasana yoga pose for diabetes

Marichasana, or Marichi’s Pose, is a seated twist that stretches the spine, shoulders, and hips while aiding in digestion and detoxification.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Sit with your legs straight out in front.
  • Bend your right knee and put your right foot on the floor close to your right hip.
  • Keep your left leg straight.
  • Breathe in and make your back straight.
  • Breathe out and twist to your right, touching your left elbow to your right knee.
  • Use your elbow as leverage to deepen the twist while keeping your spine tall.
  • Hold this position for a few breaths, feeling the stretch in your spine and shoulders.
  • To release, inhale and slowly come back to the centre, then repeat on the other side.

12. Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose)

Parsvakonasana yoga pose for diabetes

Parsvakonasana, or Side Angle Pose, is a standing pose that strengthens the legs, stretches the hips and groins, and opens the chest and shoulders.

Steps to perform this pose:

  • Begin in a standing position with your feet wide apart, facing forward.
  • Turn your right foot out to the side, ensuring that the heel aligns with the arch of your left foot.
  • Bend your right knee, bringing it directly over the ankle.
  • Extend your left leg, keeping it engaged and the foot grounded.
  • Inhale and raise your left arm overhead.
  • Exhale and bend sideways to the right, bringing your left arm alongside your ear.
  • Rest your right forearm on your right thigh, reaching your right fingertips toward the ground or a block.
  • Gently open your chest and look up toward your left hand.
  • Hold the pose for a few breaths, feeling the stretch along the side of your body.
  • Inhale and come back up to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.

13. Purvottanasana

Purvottanasana yoga pose for diabetes

Purvottanasana, or Upward Plank Pose, is an intermediate pose that strengthens the arms, wrists, and core muscles while opening the chest and shoulders.

Steps to perform this pose

  • Sit on the floor with your legs out in front and apart as wide as your hips.
  • Put your hands a bit behind you on the floor, fingers pointing at your feet.
  • Press your hands firmly into the ground and lift your hips off the floor.
  • Straighten your arms, engaging your shoulder blades and lifting your chest.
  • Keep your legs active, pressing through your heels.
  • Lengthen your neck and gaze forward or gently tilt your head back.
  • Hold this pose for a few breaths, focusing on maintaining stability and engagement in your core.
  • To release, exhale and slowly lower your hips back to the ground.

Remember to listen to your body and practice safely. For those new to yoga or with health concerns, it’s important to consult a qualified yoga instructor.

Below, you’ll find some essential safety tips to consider.

Safety Precautions & Considerations While Doing Yoga Pose for Diabetes

While yoga offers myriad benefits for diabetes management, it’s important to approach it with safety in mind:

  • Consultation: Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise, including yoga for diabetes, to ensure it’s safe based on your health condition.
  • Blood Sugar Monitoring: To avoid hypoglycemia(low blood sugar levels), monitor your blood sugar levels before and after practicing yoga for diabetes.
  • Gentle Beginnings: Start with basic yoga poses and gradually progress. This approach is key in yoga for diabetes, allowing your body to adapt without strain.
  • Hydration: Keeping hydrated is particularly important when practicing yoga for diabetes, as dehydration can impact blood sugar levels.
  • Listening to Your Body: In yoga for diabetes, avoiding poses that cause discomfort is crucial, emphasizing the practice’s focus on harmony and balance.
  • Supervised Practice: When new to yoga for diabetes, practice under the guidance of a qualified instructor who can modify poses to accommodate your needs.

How We At Fitterfly Can Help You!

Yoga is great! It keeps you flexible, works as a form of exercise, and, as you can see, has several benefits. But because it is such a scientific practice, it is essential to be done under the supervision of a trained professional.

And that’s where Fitterfly comes in. Once you enroll in Fitterfly’s Diabetes Prime Program, you have access to a trained physiotherapist who can guide you through exercising correctly and following a plan customised to your fitness level and abilities.

In addition, our team of experts will help you manage your blood sugar levels and curate a diet chart for your mental and physical health.

So, if you want to get fitter and manage your blood sugar levels like a pro, Fitterfly’s Diabetes Prime Program is perfect for you. Want to learn more? Call us on 08069450746

It’s crucial to remember that while yoga offers numerous benefits for individuals with diabetes, it should complement rather than replace conventional diabetes treatments.

Always consult healthcare providers before starting a new exercise plan, especially if you have specific health conditions or concerns.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often should someone with diabetes practice yoga to see results?

For individuals with diabetes, consistency in yoga practice is key to observing tangible benefits. Practicing yoga daily, even if for short durations, can yield significant health improvements. Integrating yoga as a daily part of your lifestyle helps in managing and preventing diabetes effectively.

Can yoga treat diabetes?

While yoga cannot cure diabetes, it can significantly contribute to managing and preventing type 2 diabetes. One of the more immediate benefits of regular yoga practice is the improvement in overall fitness. This improvement in fitness can lead to weight management, enhanced blood sugar control, reduced stress, and an uplift in overall well-being over time. These factors are essential in the comprehensive management of diabetes, helping to mitigate its impacts and improve quality of life for those living with the condition.

What is the relationship between yoga and diabetes management?

Yoga contributes to diabetes management by promoting physical activity, reducing stress, and encouraging mindful eating and a healthy lifestyle. These factors collectively help in better management of blood sugar levels, making yoga a beneficial adjunct therapy for diabetes.

How does yoga help in reducing stress and controlling diabetes?

Yoga helps in reducing stress, a crucial factor in diabetes management, through its combination of physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation. Lowering stress levels can lead to better blood sugar control, highlighting yoga's importance in managing diabetes.

Can yoga replace traditional diabetes treatments like medication and diet?

No, yoga should not replace traditional diabetes treatments such as medication and diet modifications. Instead, it should be used as a complementary therapy alongside conventional treatments to enhance overall diabetes management and quality of life.

Can yoga help with weight management in diabetes?

Yes, yoga can be an effective form of exercise for weight management, a key component in managing diabetes. Certain yoga poses and sequences can help build muscle mass and promote fat loss, contributing to healthier body weight and improved insulin sensitivity.

Can yoga lower blood sugar?

Regular yoga practice can help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. This effect is attributed to yoga's ability to reduce stress, enhance physical fitness, and promote a mindful approach to eating and lifestyle habits.

Can yoga reduce HbA1c?

Practicing yoga regularly can contribute to a reduction in HbA1c levels, a marker of long-term blood sugar control. This improvement is likely due to yoga's comprehensive benefits on physical health, stress reduction, and lifestyle modifications.

Is Kapalbhati good for diabetes?

Kapalbhati, a breathing technique known for its energizing and cleansing effects, can be beneficial for people with diabetes. When practiced regularly under proper guidance, it helps stimulate abdominal organs, enhance digestion, and improve blood sugar management.

Is Surya Namaskar good for diabetes?

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is an excellent yoga sequence for individuals with diabetes. It incorporates a dynamic pose flow that improves circulation and flexibility and reduces stress, contributing positively to blood sugar management.

Which yoga is best for diabetes?

Yoga poses for diabetes focusing on abdominal stimulation, stress reduction, and overall physical fitness can be particularly beneficial for diabetes. These include Viparita Karani, Supta Baddha Konasana, Paschimottanasana, and Kapalbhati. However, the best yoga practice is one that is consistent and adapted to the individual's capabilities and needs.

- By Fitterfly Health-Team

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