Are you curious about the benefits of yoga for people with diabetes? It has many benefits. Read here to find out more and discover what’s right for you.
Being a person with diabetes can be tough. The condition affects everything in your life, and without proper management methods, you could end up in hot water. While western medicine makes great strides every day, people with diabetes are also turning to alternative methods to help manage their symptoms. One of the most popular methods is yoga, which has steadily gained in popularity. Yoga practice has many great benefits for people with diabetes.
It’s helpful to understand that these alternative methods are useful but not a replacement for traditional Western medicine. Modalities like yoga and meditation should always be used as a supplement, not a replacement. With that disclaimer, let’s dive into how yoga can help you manage your diabetes.
Reduced Stress Levels
Diabetes can stress you out. Unfortunately, this can affect your blood glucose levels. Stress can make you enter fight or flight mode, moving blood to the extremities. Because of this, diabetic neuropathy can worsen, and blood sugar levels can increase to dangerous levels. Since yoga combines gentle movement with breath, you’ll see a significant activation in the parasympathetic nervous system. Rhythmic breathing—the kind you find in Vinyasa and Yin yoga—is perfect for this.
It Helps With Diabetic Neuropathy
Many people don’t understand how deeply diabetes can negatively impact your foot health. One of the most common symptoms is a pain in the extremities, particularly in the legs and feet. This comes from something called diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve damage that occurs as a result of elevated blood sugar levels. We’ve already talked about how deep relaxed breathing can help lower your blood sugar, but you shouldn’t forget that yoga is a form of low-impact exercise, which is perfect for someone with diabetes.
People with diabetes tend to get wounds on their feet so easily that high-impact exercises, such as running and aerobics, can hurt more than they help. However, yoga doesn’t force you to bounce up and down on your feet. Instead, it gives you a workout through slow, gentle movements. This is a great way that yoga practice can help people with diabetes.
Improved Circulation
Diabetes is perfect for improving circulation in the legs. We mentioned diabetic neuropathy earlier, which causes a lot of issues with swollen feet. Movements in yoga help improve circulation, which can lessen the pain you’ll feel in your extremities. Your body will become more flexible and supple as well. This means you may not have to deal with stiffness in your legs.
Overall, these are all great reasons to choose yoga. You have nothing to lose, so try it and see how you like it. Your body will certainly thank you.