What are the benefits of yoga for diabetes? What are 11 yoga poses that can help manage type 2 diabetes? Get the answers.

The Power of Yoga for Diabetes Management

Yoga has the potential to be a transformative practice for individuals living with type 2 diabetes. Beyond its well-known ability to promote relaxation and reduce stress, certain yoga poses may also help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and even regulate blood sugar levels. By incorporating a regular yoga routine into their diabetes management plan, many individuals have experienced significant improvements in their overall health and quality of life.

11 Yoga Poses to Try for Diabetes

Exploring a variety of yoga poses can provide a multitude of benefits for those with type 2 diabetes. From restorative inversions to stimulating backbends, each of the following 11 poses offers unique advantages that can contribute to better diabetes management.

1. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

This restorative inversion allows for relaxation, which can help lower stress levels and, in turn, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It can also boost energy and improve circulation.

2. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

This calming pose can help reduce stress, potentially aiding in the regulation of blood pressure and blood sugar. It may also stimulate the abdominal organs, bladder, and kidneys.

3. Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

As a therapeutic forward bend, this pose may help lower blood pressure, promote weight loss, and provide relief from anxiety, headaches, and fatigue.

4. Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)

This inversion can improve circulation, stimulate the thyroid gland, and help calm the mind and relieve stress.

5. Plow Pose (Halasana)

Building upon the shoulderstand, this pose may also stimulate the thyroid, increase circulation, and reduce stress, potentially relieving backache, headache, and insomnia.

6. Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

As a stimulating backbend, this pose may help lower blood pressure, boost circulation, and promote weight loss, while also stimulating the abdominal organs.

7. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

This restorative pose can help calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and promote relaxation, which may have a positive impact on blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Incorporating Yoga into Your Diabetes Management Plan

Incorporating a regular yoga practice into your diabetes management plan can provide a multitude of benefits. By exploring these 11 poses and others, you can work to improve circulation, regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduce stress – all of which are crucial for managing type 2 diabetes effectively.

Remember, it’s important to listen to your body and start slowly, gradually increasing the duration and intensity of your yoga practice. Consult with your healthcare provider to ensure that your yoga routine aligns with your specific medical needs and treatment plan.

By making yoga a consistent part of your lifestyle, you can take an active role in managing your type 2 diabetes and improve your overall health and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can yoga help manage type 2 diabetes?

Yoga can help manage type 2 diabetes in several ways. Certain poses may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, improve circulation, and reduce stress – all of which are important for effective diabetes management. Regular yoga practice can also help prevent other diabetes-related complications, such as heart disease.

What are some of the best yoga poses for diabetes?

Some of the best yoga poses for diabetes include Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, Bound Angle Pose, Forward Fold, Supported Shoulderstand, Plow Pose, Upward-Facing Dog, and Child’s Pose. These poses can help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, regulate blood sugar, and reduce stress.

How often should someone with type 2 diabetes practice yoga?

The frequency of yoga practice for individuals with type 2 diabetes can vary depending on their individual needs and preferences. However, many experts recommend practicing yoga at least 2-3 times per week for maximum benefits. It’s important to start slowly and gradually increase the duration and intensity of the practice to allow the body to adapt.

Can yoga help prevent complications of type 2 diabetes?

Yes, regular yoga practice can help prevent certain complications of type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease. By improving circulation, regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and reducing stress, yoga can contribute to a lower risk of diabetes-related complications.

Conclusion

Yoga offers a powerful and holistic approach to managing type 2 diabetes. By incorporating these 11 poses and other yoga practices into your routine, you can work to improve your overall health, reduce the risk of complications, and take an active role in managing your condition. Remember to consult with your healthcare provider and start your yoga journey at a pace that feels comfortable and sustainable for you.

Yoga for Diabetes: 11 Poses to Try

Why it’s beneficial

Yoga can do more than just relax your body in mind — especially if you’re living with diabetes. Certain poses may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels while also improving circulation, leading many experts to recommend yoga for diabetes management.

Regular practice may even help reduce your risk for other complications of diabetes, such as heart disease.

Keep reading to learn how these simple moves can improve your overall quality of life and lead to significant transformations.

This restorative inversion allows for relaxation. This helps lower stress levels, which may in turn help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It can also help relieve headaches, boost energy, and increase circulation.

Muscles worked:

• hamstrings
• pelvic muscles
• lower back
• front torso
• back of the neck

To do this:

1. Fold up a blanket or towel to sit on.
2. Sit with your right side against a wall.
3. Swing your legs up along the wall as you move to lay flat on your back. Your body should form a 90-degree angle against the wall.
4. Keep your sitting bones as close to the wall as possible.
5. Relax your neck, chin, and throat.
6. Stretch your arms out to the side with your palms facing up.
7. Remain in this pose for 5 to 15 minutes.
8. Release by slowly sliding your legs down to the side.

This is a restorative pose that can help calm your nervous system. This pose can also help reduce your stress levels, which may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It’s also thought to stimulate the abdominal organs, bladder, and kidneys.

Muscles worked:

• adductors
• groin muscles
• pelvic muscles
• psoas

To do this:

1. While seated, bring the soles of your feet together. Your knees should be out to the sides.
2. You may place a bolster underneath your knees for support.
3. Slowly lean back until your back is flat on the floor.
4. Relax the area around your hips.
5. Rest your hands alongside your body with your palms facing up.
6. You can also press down on your thighs to gently deepen the stretch in your legs and hips.
7. Stay in this pose for up to 10 minutes.
8. To release, use your hands to lift and press your knees together. Slowly sit all the way up.

This pose is a therapeutic forward bend. In addition to lowering blood pressure and promoting weight loss, this pose may help relieve anxiety, headache, and fatigue.

Muscles worked:

• pelvic muscles
• erector spinae
• gluteus maximus
• gastrocnemius

To do this:

1. Sit on the edge of a folded blanket and extend your legs long.
2. You may place a prop under your knees for support.
3. Imagine that you’re pressing the soles of your feet against a wall so that your toes are drawing back toward your shins.
4. Root into your sit bones, lengthen your spine, and open your heart center.
5. Hinge at your hips as you bend forward.
6. Walk your hands down to your feet, stopping when you reach a comfortable position. Your torso should fold into your legs.
7. Tuck your chin into your chest.
8. Remain in the pose for up to 3 minutes.

This inversion may help improve circulation and stimulate the thyroid gland. It can also help calm the mind and relieve stress.

Muscles worked:

• rectus abdominis
• trapezius
• rotator cuff
• quadriceps

To do this:

1. Lie down flat on your back with a folded blanket under your shoulders.
2. Align your shoulders with the edge of the blanket.
3. Rest your arms alongside your body with your palms facing down.
4. Lift your legs straight up into the air.
5. Slowly lower your legs back toward your head.
6. Move your hands to your lower back for support. Your fingers should be facing upward.
7. Raise your legs up so that your shoulders, spine, and hips are in one straight line.
8. Remain in the pose for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
9. Release by rolling your spine back down to the mat and lowering your legs to the floor.

This inversion may help stimulate the thyroid gland, increase circulation, and reduce stress. Its therapeutic effects may also help relieve backache, headache, and insomnia.

Muscles worked:

• rotator cuff
• hamstrings
• trapezius
• spinal extensors

You may find it easier to transition into plow pose from supported shoulderstand.

To do this:

1. From shoulderstand, bring your feet to the floor above your head.
2. If your feet don’t reach the floor, use a pillow or block for support.
3. Keep your hands on your lower back for added support.
4. Remain in the pose for 1 to 5 minutes.
5. To release, roll your spine back down to your mat and raise your legs up to form a 90-degree angle.
6. Lower your legs back down to your mat.

This stimulating backbend requires a lot of muscular strength. The pose may help lower blood pressure, boost circulation, and promote weight loss. It also stimulates the abdominal organs.

Muscles worked:

• gluteus maximus
• triceps brachii
• spinal extensors
• quadriceps
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Lie on your stomach with your legs extended behind you.
2. Place your palms flat on the floor. Your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor.
3. Press into your palms to straighten your arms and lift up your body and legs.
4. Come onto the tops of your feet.
5. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you engage your thigh, arm, and abdominal muscles.
6. Maintain a firmness in your buttocks and shoulder blades.
7. Keep your gaze straight ahead.
8. Soften your throat and neck.
9. Remain in this pose for up to 30 seconds.

This backbend opens up your chest and stimulates your abdominal organs. This may help lower your blood sugar levels, as well as relieve constipation and respiratory ailments.

Muscles worked:

• gluteus maximus
• hamstrings
• quadriceps
• pectoralis major

To do this:

1. Lie down on your stomach.
2. Allow your arms to rest alongside your body with your palms facing up.
3. Bend your knees and bring your hands to the outside of your ankles.
4. Lift up your head, chest, and knees.
5. Breathe deeply and gaze forward.
6. Remain in the pose for up to 30 seconds.
7. On exhale, release the pose.
8. Place one hand on top of the other to make a pillow for your forehead.
9. Gently shake your hips from side-to-side to relax your lower back.

10. You may repeat this pose one or two times.

This twisting pose stimulates the abdominal organs, which may help lower blood sugar. It’s also thought to improve digestion and boost your energy levels.

Muscles worked:

• rhomboids
• serratus anterior
• erector spinae
• pectoralis major
• psoas

To do this:

1. While in a cross-legged position, scoot your right foot to the outside of your left hip.
2. Cross your left leg over your right leg, so that your left foot sits at the outside of your right thigh.
3. Root into your sit bones and lengthen your spine.
4. Twist your body to the left.
5. Bring your left hand to the floor behind you.
6. Bring your right upper arm to the outside of your left thigh. You can rest your hand on your thigh or keep the forearm lifted straight into the air.
7. On each inhale, focus on lengthening and lifting.
8. Twist a bit deeper to the right with each exhale.
9. Bring your gaze to look over either shoulder.

10. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

11. Repeat on the other side.

This restorative twisting pose also helps stimulate the abdominal organs, which may help lower blood sugar levels. The pose may also help alleviate pain and stiffness in your spine, back, and hips.

Muscles worked:

• erector spinae
• rectus abdominis
• trapezius
• pectoralis major

To do this:

1. Lay flat on your back and bring your knees into your chest.
2. Extend your arms to your sides with your palms facing down.
3. Bring your knees over to the left side.
4. Try to keep your knees together and at hip level.
5. If you’d like, use your left hand to apply gentle pressure to your knees.
6. Your gaze can be in any direction.
7. Remain in this pose for at least 30 seconds.
8. Repeat on the opposite side.

This resting pose encourages relaxation, which may help promote the production of insulin-producing beta cells. It may also help relieve back and neck pain, stress, and fatigue.

Muscles worked:

• gluteus maximus
• rotator muscles
• hamstrings
• spinal extensors

To do this:

1. While in a kneeling position, make sure your knees are hip-width apart.
2. Sink back to bring your buttocks to your heels.
3. You may place a cushion between your thighs and calves for support.
4. Lean forward to rest your forehead on the floor.
5. Extend your arms in front of you, or allow your arms to rest alongside your body with your palms facing up.
6. Remain in this pose for up to 5 minutes.
7. Release by lifting yourself up into a seated position.

This restorative pose can help lower blood pressure, relax the body, and calm the mind. It may also help relieve headache, fatigue, and insomnia. It’s traditionally done at the end of your yoga practice.

To do this:

1. Lay flat on your back, with your feet spread out a little wider than your hips.
2. Rest your arms alongside your torso with your palms facing up.
3. Align your torso so that it’s in a straight line. Your body should form a Y shape.
4. Allow your body to press into the floor. You should completely relax your body and release any tension you’re holding.
5. Remain in this pose for 10–20 minutes.

The results of one 2016 review found that yogic practices can significantly help to manage type 2 diabetes. Researchers concluded that yoga had a positive improvement on blood sugar levels, lipid levels, and body composition.

Limited data found during review also suggests that yoga can lower oxidative stress and blood pressure. Other data suggests that yoga may improve pulmonary and autonomic function and reduce medication use.

Although these results are promising, more research is needed to confirm and expand upon these findings.

Practicing yoga on a regular basis can help improve your overall well-being and may help manage your diabetes.

If you’re new to yoga, talk to your doctor before adding this exercise to your routine. They can walk you through any potential risks and offer guidance on how to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If you’d prefer to practice at home, you can use books, articles, and guided online classes to develop your practice. Begin with a short practice of 10 minutes per day, and work your way up from there.

You can also take classes at a studio. Be sure to discuss your condition and intentions with your teacher so that they can develop a practice suited to your needs.

Yoga for Diabetes: Does It Work?

Written by Karen Asp

Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on April 08, 2022

• Health Benefits of Yoga
• Why Yoga Might Help
• How to Get Started
• Yoga Poses to Try

Exercise can be an important part of managing your diabetes. It can help keep your blood sugar levels steady and even help lower your chances of getting the disease in the first place.

Brisk walks, running, and strength training with weights are good choices. So is one that many people may not consider: yoga.

People have practiced yoga for hundreds of years. Research shows that yoga can help improve your overall quality of life as well as help manage symptoms specific to diabetes.

Yoga is both a physical activity and a mental one. The word comes from the Sanskrit word for yoking, or to join or unite. It mixes specific postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. It may help you:

• Get stronger
• Improve your balance and lessen chances of a fall, even if you have nerve damage
• Better control blood sugar levels
• Be more flexible
• Build more muscle
• Lower stress
• Be more mindful
• Be more accepting of your body
• Improve your nerve function
• Lower your blood pressure

Physical activity is a big part of staying healthy with diabetes. And regular exercise is one of the best types of physical movement.

Yoga can be a good choice if you’re looking for something that’s gentler on your joints and won’t leave you huffing and puffing. Most types of yoga aren’t aerobic, which is when your heart beats faster and your body uses more oxygen. But if you do it at high-enough speed, you can make yoga into a cardio workout.

A review of 37 randomized, controlled studies found that compared to no exercise, practicing yoga helps lower your weight, drops LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, and raises your HDL “good” cholesterol.

Yoga also can be a form of resistance, or strength training, which uses free weights or your own body weight to help build muscles. Resistance exercise has shown to better regulate blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also helps your cells respond better to insulin and convert glucose in your bloodstream into energy.

If you’re new to yoga, check into a beginner’s class with a qualified yoga professional. Your local hospitals or medical centers may even offer free classes for people with diabetes.

You also can do yoga at home by watching videos or free online tutorials. Most types of yoga are safe. But talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. Fast-paced yoga like hot or Bikram yoga may not be recommended for some people who have diabetes.

Take care to move in and out of poses slowly. Sudden shifts could make your blood pressure drop and leave you dizzy. Yoga poses you might try include:

• Sun salutations
• Seated poses like frog pose
• Twisting poses, such as seated spinal twist

Avoid inverted poses like head stands where your head drops below your heart. That may increase pressure in your eyes and cause harm. Simple inversions like forward fold can have the same effect.

So how much yoga is enough? There are no set guidelines for yoga specifically, but aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity workout each week. That means you should be breathing harder than normal, but still able to talk. But any amount of physical activity benefits your health.

If you feel any pain or discomfort, pull back. Yoga instructors often advise that you not eat before a session. But consider eating a light snack, especially if you’re taking insulin or other medication, before your workout to avoid low blood sugar.

Always check with your doctor before starting a new activity in case any changes need to be made to your treatment plan.

Top Picks

Yoga for Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus largely dictates a person’s lifestyle, including the regime of physical activity. But they, according to doctors, are able to alleviate the condition of diabetics. “Any active movements that involve the muscles in the work contribute to the absorption of sugar from the blood. Thus, its level decreases,” explains Olga Boyarkina , an endocrinologist at the Atlas Medical Center.

Why yoga is effective for diabetes

Yoga is of particular benefit to both types of diabetics, according to Indian physiologists. Their experiment proved that a group of subjects who practiced the ancient practice for 90 days had a marked decrease in blood sugar levels. And the weight has stabilized, the pressure and cholesterol levels have normalized.

According to some experts, you can get the same effect by doing the so-called hot or Bikram yoga. “With regular practice, it starts the processes of self-purification and renewal of the body, improves the functioning of internal organs, including the pancreas,” says Bikram Chowdhury, founder of the Bikram Yoga school, chief guest of the First Moscow Bikram Yoga Seminar. “This is facilitated not only by asanas with active work of muscles and twisting of the body, but also by increased temperature in the classes where classes are held.”

However, the condition of those suffering from diabetes can be facilitated by practicing any other yoga. There would be the correct breathing technique and a suitable set of poses. “The key to success is pranayama, breath holding, bandhas and twisting asanas,” says Anna Kabanichy , hatha yoga teacher at the Yoga Class studio. “They stimulate the production of enough insulin to control the level of sugar in the body, normalize the work of the endocrine system.” All these elements are contained in our complex, which we will show you today.”

Yoga for diabetics: how to practice

– Perform a set of asanas at a calm pace every other day, breathing exercise (uddiyana-bandha) every day (in the morning on an empty stomach and before going to bed).

– Before performing the complex, do a light warm-up or a complex of Surya Namaskar.

– Hold each asana for 30-120 seconds, until you feel the desire to come out of the pose. “Breathe calmly and do not hesitate to close your eyes in some asanas: this will help you focus on the work of the internal organs,” Anna Kabanichy advises.

Ardha matsyendrasana (variation)

Sit on the mat, stretch your legs forward, pull your socks towards you, close your eyes. Bend your left leg at the knee and place your left foot behind your right knee. Twist in the thoracic region, place your right palm on your left thigh, and rest your left on the floor behind your buttocks. Repeat on the other side.

Ardha gomukhasana (variation)

Sitting on the mat, stretch your legs forward, pull your socks towards you. Bend the right leg, place the right thigh over the left so that the right heel touches the outer side of the left thigh. Place your hands on the mat behind you and lean forward so that your stomach touches your hips. Try to lower the body even lower, press your stomach on your right thigh.

Vajarasana

Sit on your heels with your back straight. Clench your hands into fists and place them on your lower abdomen. Then tilt your body forward, touching your forehead to the floor. Relax your stomach, let your fists sink into it.

Uddiyana bandha from sitting position

Sitting on your heels, place your palms on the mat on either side of your knees and lean your torso forward so that your spine is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Make a sharp exhalation with the sound “Ha”, bend your elbows and touch your forehead to the mat. Then, without inhaling, straighten your arms, return to the starting position and draw in the stomach, pulling the diaphragm as close to the lungs as possible. When you want to inhale, relax your stomach and only then inhale, raising your chin. Repeat 10 times.

Pashchimottanasana

Sit on the mat, stretch your legs forward, feet towards you, palms on both sides of the hips. Lean forward and, if you can, grab your feet with your hands, resting your stomach on your hips and rounding your lower back.

Virabhadrasana

Stand up straight, then lower into a lunge with your left thigh parallel to the floor and your right shin on the mat. Keep your back straight, palms together in front of your chest. Then twist your chest to the left and lower your body so that your right armpit rests on your left thigh. Repeat on the other side.

Malasana

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and bend your torso so that your stomach touches your hips. Connect the brushes in front of the chest. Then bend your knees even more and lower your pelvis down, and touch your shins with your elbows. Press your belly into your thighs.

Practice regularly, remembering the safe training for diabetics. A proper diet and a gentle exercise regimen will help stabilize your well-being.

Do you want to practice yoga at home online?

Train with our video tutorials!

Diabetes and yoga: friend or foe?

Physical and Psychological Aspects of Yoga for Type 2 Diabetes

It has been proven that diabetes is by no means a severe limitation on the right to a full active life. But there are still certain warnings regarding sports. ¹

Let’s figure out what exactly yoga is for people diagnosed with diabetes: an assistant or a provocateur of crisis conditions?

There is an opinion that playing sports is good for diabetes and reduces the risk of its development.

More information in the article “Sports and Diabetes”

• Active movement helps to avoid many of the complications that diabetes provokes. Sport saves from cardiovascular problems, along with a healthy diet, increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin, helps in the treatment of insulin resistance syndrome, helps to reduce body weight, an increase in which is an undesirable guest for people with diabetes.
• For healthy people, sport as a strict “controller” of overweight is a powerful protector against the risk of diabetes.

Read about the importance of playing sports in the article “Physical activity”

But too tiring training for a person with diabetes is a taboo, excessive efforts lead to a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels and, accordingly, the development of hypoglycemia.

• Yoga is the golden mean, a sport of medium activity, the intensity and duration of which can be controlled depending on how you feel.
• During the slow smooth movements characteristic of asanas, endorphin ² is produced, the so-called hormone of joy, which also has the pleasant property of increasing cravings for protein rather than carbohydrate food.

So, yoga is a comprehensive approach: both the loads are optimal, and the mood is normal, and dietary advice is carried out with pleasure!

Yoga – sports psychologist

It has been proven that yoga classes increase the level of stress resistance.

• Harmonious, unhurried exercises help to distract from problems. During thoughtful studies, you forget about the problems in life and get used to treating them philosophically.
• Exercise reduces the production of cortisol, a hormone responsible for the development of stressful conditions ³ .

A person who regularly practices yoga feels certain positive changes in himself.

• Becomes more self-confident.
• Gets the strength and desire to fight bad habits.
• Gets a powerful weapon in the fight against depression.
• Learns to be open to the world, communicates more easily with others, loses the desire to conflict.

This is an invaluable help for a person who is learning to live with a diagnosis of diabetes. When changing lifestyle, it is very important to accept them positively, and not plunge into the negative, imagining a future limited and inferior existence. ⁴

Important nuances for beginners

⁵

The first thing that the “owner” of the diagnosis “DM” remembers like “Our Father” is the importance of control: you need to constantly, regularly and carefully monitor your own condition both by sensations and laboratory tests .

What should I do before starting yoga classes?

• Test blood glucose: if the readings are off the charts above 3.8 mmol/L (248 mg/dL) or “lagging behind” at 5.6 mmol/L (109 mg/dL), this is a wake-up call. It is better to wait until the indicator returns to your usual norm.
• Drink plenty of water: even a slow pace of exercise can lead to dehydration, especially on hot days.
• Pay attention to the specifics of the medicines you are taking. Some of them (such as beta-blockers) lower blood glucose levels, which together with physical activity can lead to a hypoglycemic crisis.
• If your glucose level is low, it is worth eating a light carbohydrate snack to prevent a critical drop in indicators.
• Tell the coach and others about your condition and how to help in times of crisis. Careful preparation for training minimizes the risks, but there are times when a quick reaction of trained people around saves you from unpleasant complications.

Behavior during yoga classes

All sports feats should be performed with intelligence.

• Do not take on the full load at once. Start with a 15-20 minute workout. Each time, add a few minutes to the duration of the session, watching your feelings.
• Don’t drive by the day either: make a training schedule at least every other day, the body needs to smoothly, without discomfort, enter a new rhythm. But the breathing exercises that accompany yoga classes can be performed daily.
• If you feel tired or want to complete an exercise before the deadline set by your trainer, don’t ignore your body’s signals.