5 Effective Yoga Poses and Exercises to Manage Diabetes

Yoga can do more than just calm your body and mind, especially if you have diabetes. Many experts recommend yoga for people with diabetes, as certain poses can help lower blood pressure and blood sugar level while improving circulation.

Diabetes is not something that should be taken lightly. To combat it, you have to pay attention to what you eat, how you live, and how much you exercise. So, yoga is more than just a way to work out; it's something the body needs to help you live better.

With regular exercise, you may be less likely to get heart disease or other problems that can come with diabetes.

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Yoga Poses to Combat Diabetes

Check out these five yoga poses and exercises that can help you manage and fight diabetes:

1) Viparita Karani

With this restorative inversion, you can calm down. It helps lower stress, which in turn can help lower diabetes and blood pressure. It can also help with headaches, give you more energy, and make blood flow better.

To do this yoga pose:

• Sit on a folded blanket or towel. Put your right side against a wall, and sit down.
• As you move to lie on your back, swing your legs up along the wall. Your body should make an angle of 90 degrees with the wall.
• Keep your sitting bones as close as possible to the wall. Your neck, chin, and throat should be loose.
• Put your palms up, and stretch your arms out to the side. Hold this position for 5–15 minutes.
• Slowly slide your legs out to the side to let go.

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2) Reclining Bound Angle Pose

This is a pose that can help you feel better and calm your nerves. This pose can also help you feel less stressed, which can help your diabetes and blood pressure go down. It can also help the kidneys, bladder, and organs in the abdomen work better.

To do this yoga pose:

• Put the soles of your feet together while you're sitting. You should have your knees out on the sides.
• You can give your knees support by putting a bolster under them. Lean back slowly till your back is touching the floor.
• The area around the hips should be loose. Put your palms up, and rest your hands next to your body.
• You can also gently stretch your legs and hips by pressing down on your thighs.
• Hold this pose for as long as ten minutes.
• To let go, lift your knees with your hands, and press them together. Sit all the way up slowly.

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3) Seated Forward Bend

This pose, a forward bend, is beneficial in many ways. It can help relieve anxiety, headaches, and tiredness, as well as lower blood pressure, diabetes and help lose weight.

To do this yoga pose:

• Sit on the folded edge of a blanket, and stretch out your legs.
• You can support yourself by putting something under your knees.
• Imagine putting the bottom of your feet against a wall and pulling your toes back towards your shins.
• Rooting yourself in your sit bones, lengthen your spine, and open your heart center.
• As you bend forward, let your hips pivot.
• Move your hands down to your feet, and stop when you feel comfortable. You should fold your upper body into your legs.
• Put your chin up against your chest. Hold the pose for as long as three minutes.

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4) Plow Pose

This inversion may help stimulate the thyroid gland, improve circulation, and reduce diabetes and reduce stress. Its healing properties may help with alleviating back pain, headaches, and sleeplessness.

To do this yoga pose:

• Bring your feet to the floor above your head from the shoulder stand.
• Use a pillow or block for support if your feet don't reach the floor. Keep your hands on the small of your back for extra support.
• Hold the pose for one to five minutes.
• To let go, roll your back down to the mat, and lift your legs up so that they form a 90-degree angle. Bring your legs back to the floor.

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5) Upward Facing Dog

This relaxing backbend requires a lot of muscle strength. The pose might help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, reduce diabetes, and help lose weight. It also gets the organs in the belly moving.

To do this yoga pose:

• Lie on your stomach with your legs stretched out in front of you.
• Put your palms flat on the floor. The arms should be in a straight line with the floor.
• You can straighten your arms, and lift your body and legs by pressing into your palms.
• Come up onto the top of your feet.
• Keep your elbows slightly bent as you use your thigh, arm, and stomach muscles.
• Keep your buttocks and shoulder blades as firm as possible. Keep your eyes on the road ahead.
• Make your throat and neck smoother. Hold this pose for as long as 30 seconds.

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Takeaway

When you do yoga regularly, it can help you feel better overall and even help you control your diabetes.

However, if you have never done yoga before, you should talk to your doctor before adding the aforementioned poses to your routine. You should be aware of the possible risks and also have guidance on how to start and keep a healthy lifestyle.