THE ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING DIABETES

Scientific studies have shown that the elements of yoga, the mind-body practice of physical movement, breathing, deep relaxation, and meditation helps to manage stress. Hence, Yoga can be a great way to be included in your lifestyle to maintain the level of your glucose. Studies and Research to prove that how and why yoga is beneficial for people suffering from diabetes are continuously been conducted at various universities around the globe. Let’s understand why yoga is beneficial for diabetes patients.

Yoga is a Gentle Movement!

In today’s time technology has overtaken the physical work that people used to do earlier. Modern technology has made physical movement less necessary, due to spending more time on the internet and computers. You can now work, shop, socialize and be a fully productive person of society without moving out of your house.

For beginners, simple stretching can be done because you are not in the habit of doing regular exercise. Some yoga styles are more challenging and extreme than others. You can learn yoga from anywhere, it can be by a skilled teacher, from T.V, the internet, etc. Your practice can be modified for your fitness level and shape of your body and your progress can be at your own pace. Most important thing is to get started first, you can start with 10 minutes daily then you can increase your time according to your stamina.

Yoga isn’t a ‘sporty’ sport, it comes to you as you are. For some, it is quite a time for self-reflection. Athletes also find yoga helpful. Many of them complain of tight muscles, re-lengthening can be done with the help of stretching. They also practice breathing because it helps to maintain mental focus and improves performance.

Yoga can make you feel good!

Yoga makes you feel relaxed. During yoga you breathe deeply, muscles are stretched, and your attitude is shifted. These practices can make you feel better.

To understand how conscious breathing makes you feel good, let’s step back and take a look at your whole nervous system. Your nervous system is subdivided into the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peripheral nervous system is divided into two parts; the somatic, having to do with sensation and voluntary movement; and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates the involuntary processes in your body. These include your digestive organs processing the food you eat, the beating of your heart, lung movement and other involuntary actions. The ANS includes sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Both these systems may appear different but they function in coordination to keep you well and reacting to things around you. In today’s life, people live in fight-or-flight activation mode due to stress. Yoga helps to release chronic stress and ease your body.

Breathing is one of the physiological processes that occur both voluntary and involuntary. Breathing is a continuous process that never stops and is considered as a vehicle between your mind and body.

Endorphins are neuroendocrine factors in your body that, among other things, create a sense of relaxation and well being. Stretching is one way to trigger the release of endorphins from your pituitary gland. Endorphins plug into receptors on cells of your central nervous system and give you a good feeling.

Yoga helps understand and change attitude:

It is related to the power of the pause. Yoga and other wisdom traditions of the East cultivate your observing, less reacting mind, often called your witness. When you learn to activate this viewpoint, it tends to help you respond to life’s inevitable problems in a calmer, less emotionally hair-triggered way. Yoga and contemplative practices also include an attitude of nonjudgmental awareness. That is, you practice not labeling things in your world as good or bad. The more the break is taken from judging, the more room is created for gratitude and appreciation. In the emerging science of positive physiology, these two emotions are strongly linked to overall happiness.

Yoga can Balance your Lifestyle!

Your body is made up composed of different systems and if you live a healthy and happy life, your every system tends to flow towards overall balance.

The movements of yoga make you more aware of the alignment of bones in your skeletal system, from the central axis of your spines to your major joints, down to the small bone in your hands and feet. Good posture and alignment tend to make you feel better. The skeletal system moves in with coordination with your muscles.

Your central nervous system, respiratory system, endocrine, cardiovascular and digestive system are all impacted by your posture. The grounding, stretch, breathing, etc all help to make you feel better. As you become more about how your body system work, the brain also undergoes positive changes.

Yoga keeps your Blood Sugar in Control

Yoga benefits in all ways. It is beneficial for diabetes patients also. When your liver and muscle cells become more sensitive to insulin, this allows glucose to enter cells from the bloodstream, which helps you to maintain blood glucose levels. Aim for about 150 minutes of workout each week. If you feel you are not able to do it you can start with 10-15 minutes. Over time, work your way up. You may be surprised at the positive spiral of moving and feeling better, which could allow you to move even more.

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