From fertility, diabetes, breast cancer, and positive body image, yoga has numerous benefits for women’s health. Like a woman who looks after everyone’s needs, Yoga looks after her well-being.
The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ meaning union of the body, breath and mind. It is an ancient discipline to maintain harmony in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions as well as health of an individual. Yoga integrates three major components: specific physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation. Studies suggest that yoga has helped to manage various lifestyle disorders, including type 2 diabetes.
Health benefits of yoga for women with diabetes:
The modern woman of our household is efficiently handling multiple roles while shaping her career which might be stressful at times, and have negative impact on diabetes. Apart from managing stress, the other benefits of yoga include:
- Better Sleep
- Reduced Anxiety and Depression
- Improved Blood Sugar Control
- Improved Posture, Flexibility, and Strength
- Positive Impact on Blood Pressure and lipid profile
Yoga can be a suitable alternative of traditional exercise in diabetic women who have limited joint mobility or unable to pursue routine aerobic exercise due to physical as well as social issues.
Role of yoga in diabetes control:
Yoga helps women with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels by:
- The mind body connection, which provides self awareness, healthy dietary practices, mindful eating and glycemic stabilisation.
- Reduced stress, anxiety, the level of counter regulatory hormones and sympathetic overdrive which have negative impact on blood sugar level.
- Decrease insulin resistance and oxidative stress.
- Reduction in body weight.
Yoga poses that woman with diabetes can include in her exercise regimen:
Women with diabetes must try to include the following yoga poses in their exercise regime:
- Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar
- Frog Pose or Bhekasana
- Twist Pose or ArdhaMatsyendrasana
Women with diabetes must practice yoga for at least half an hour every day. Along with yoga, women with diabetes must take their medicines regularly as advised by the doctor, eat balanced diet and avoid smoking and alcohol. With proper awareness, medication, and yoga in the exercise regime, a woman can easily keep the complications associated with diabetes at bay.
