6 Yoga Poses Will Help You Control Your Diabetes

With the increase in incidence of diabetes in today’s world, researches are searching for newer methods to control diabetes and find a cure for it. One of the well-known but old methods in controlling diabetes is yoga practice. Before we go on to learn about the yoga poses that help to control your diabetes, let’s get a small gist of what diabetes is and how yoga helps to control this disease.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world. It is a state of chronic high blood glucose level in the blood. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes also known as insulin dependent diabetes, is when your pancreas fails to produce insulin in adequate amounts to maintain a normal blood glucose level. For this reason, these people are insulin dependent. Type 2 diabetes or Non-insulin dependent insulin is when your body produces the necessary amount of insulin but the cells cannot utilize this insulin.

How does exercise help to lower the blood glucose levels?
It has been found that exercise not only helps the cells to respond to insulin, it also improves the blood circulation especially to the hands and legs where most diabetics run into problems.

How does yoga help?
Regular yoga practice helps to control the blood sugar levels by several mechanisms which include reducing your body weight and stimulating your pancreas to secrete more insulin. This way, yoga helps to reduce the severity of the signs and symptoms and slows down the progression of the disease.

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a study carried out by Marshall Govindan and Dr. Emilia RipollBunn regarding the influence of yoga on diabetes and its complications, found out that yoga helped to reduce the blood sugar and cholesterol levels within a short period of time. They also found out that yoga helps to stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin.

Short and long term studies have been carried out to find the effects of yoga on diabetes. These studies have confirmed that yoga is significantly beneficial in lowering the fasting and post prandial blood sugars. Yoga also reduces the drug requirement and the complications like infections and diabetic ketoacidosis has reduced.

The 6 poses to control diabetes
The poses to control your diabetes include:

1. Pranayam
2. Setubandhasana
3. Balasana
4. Vajrasana
5. Sarvangasana
6. Halasana

Speak with your doctor before trying these yoga poses.

1. Pranayam
This is a basic breathing exercise. It helps to oxygenate blood and calm your mind. Follow the steps to maintain this pose.

First, sit on the floor cross legged, and next straighten your back placing the hands on your knees facing upwards. Now, close your eyes. Forget everything around you and just focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath in and hold it on for about 5 seconds. Then slowly exhale. Repeat this for at least 10 minutes.

2. Setubandhasana
‘Setubandh’ means the formation of a bridge. In this pose you have to move in to the supine posture. Keep your legs together and keep the hands beside your body. Bend both the legs at your knees until the heels touch your buttocks. Hold both the ankles firmly. Now, slowly raise your buttocks and trunk up slowly as much as you can to form a bridge.  

This is the final position. Hold in this position for a few seconds and while exhaling return to the original position.

This will help to relieve depression and anxiety and also strengthens the back muscles.

3. Balasana
This pose is also known as the child’s pose. Start by kneeling on your hands and knees. Now keep your feet flat on the ground and sit on your heels. While exhaling bend forwards until your stomach touches your thighs and the back is fully extended. Now stretch your arms and place your forehead on the ground. Stay in this posture for about 3 minutes if possible. If you find it hard, then maintain the posture at least for 5 to 10 seconds.

The child’s pose helps to massage the internal organs and relaxes the mind thus helping with the stress and tension.

4. Vajrasana
This is also called as the thunder bolts pose or the diamond pose.

Kneel on the floor with your feet facing uupwards. Now sit on your heels. Keep your palms on your knees facing downwards, close your eyes and take deep and steady breaths. Maintain this posture for at least 15 to 30 seconds.

The benefits of this posture are that it improves your digestion as well as it strengthens the leg muscles.

5. Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana also known as the shoulder pose helps the functioning of your digestion, heart, respiratory system, reproductive system and thyroid glands. It also boosts the metabolism.
First lie flat on the ground and then slowly lift your legs and back straight up. Place your palms on your back to support the back. Toes should be pointing towards the ceiling. Your elbows should be touching the floor. Hold in this posture as long as you can. Slowly lower your body to the original position.

6. Halasana
Halsana, also known as the plow pose stimulates your thyroids, parathyroids, and all your internal organs that aid in digestion. It also releases your stress and fatigue.

To achieve this posture, you have to do the sarvangasana pose first. Once you get in to this pose, bend your legs at the hips and try to touch the floor behind your head. Once you touch the floor, release your back support and interlock your fingers on the mat. Hold this posture for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to your normal posture slowly.

Conclusion
Yoga is one of the oldest methods that have been practiced to control diabetes. By stimulating the pancreas to secrete more insulin and relieving the stress and fatigue in you, yoga helps to reduce the severity of the signs and symptoms of diabetes and slows the progression of the disease. There are several yoga poses which help to lower the blood sugar levels. However, these should be practiced only after consulting your doctor.

References
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/4-yoga-poses-for-diabetes/articleshow/44924046.cms
http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-yoga-poses-to-keep-diabetes-under-control/