Yoga Poses To Help Ease Diabetes Symptoms

Ease Diabetes Symptoms With Yoga

Beat weight gain, water retention and increase circulation with these simple poses

In your efforts to deal with the symptoms and side effects of diabetes, don't overlook the power of yoga. Many people with diabetes have found relief by incorporating yoga into their routine, and it can help at any stage, says Jasmine Lieb, a therapeutic yoga instructor at YogaWorks in Los Angeles who has worked with many diabetics. "I once worked with a man who had gone blind and lost feeling in his hands and feet from type 2 diabetes," she says. "We modified the poses until he was able to do them independently. And he felt more confident and comfortable by the end." Not only did some feeling come back in his hands and feet, but he also was able to walk farther and longer. "Through yoga, that feeling of powerlessness is gone," Lieb says.

Yoga's focus on the breath and movement can boost circulation, especially to the extremities. It's one of few exercises that set the entire body in motion with the breath, circulating the blood through parts of the body that might otherwise go unused in our day-to-day lives. While daily practice is ideal, Lieb says you shouldn't stress yourself out or feel pressured by a set schedule. Instead, slip these two poses into your day at a time that is convenient for you. (Please note that these poses should be learned first under the supervision of an instructor.)

Shoulder Stand, modified

"Through inversions like shoulder stand, we can focus on stimulating the thyroid, which is often linked to the weight gain and water retention suffered by many people with diabetes," says Lieb. Diabetics also have a higher incidence of thyroid disorders than the rest of the population. When the legs are raised above the heart in shoulder stand, blood is drawn to the crook of the neck, where the thyroid gland is located. For many diabetics, increasing circulation in the thyroid can help bring relief.

1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent to 90 degrees and the soles of your feet flat against a wall.
2. If your lower back feels comfortable there, begin straightening your legs and lifting your pelvis. Place your hands on your lower back for support with your fingers pointing toward your feet.
3. Lift your shoulder blades up your back away from your ears as you straighten your legs and push your feet into the wall. You can hold the posture here for as long as you're comfortable.
4. Or flow slowly, raising your pelvis up and holding for a couple of breaths before lowering it back down to the floor and then raising it again, continuously for 2 to 5 minutes.
5. If you are not able to breath easily in this pose, gently lower your hips to the floor.

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Reclining Twist with Ocean Breath

The breath is a key part in every yoga pose. The breathing exercise you're about to learn can be used in any pose you try. "By directing the air this [particular] way, the diaphragm muscle brings more oxygen and nutrients into the blood than normal breathing," Lieb says. Combine that superfortified blood with a pose that gets it pumping where you need it, and you're hitting diabetes with a one-two punch. Twists increase circulation to the pancreas, which helps the body digest sugars.

1. Close your lips softly and take a deep breath of air in through your nose. Slowly channel the breath through your throat, making an ocean sound as you exhale through your nose.
2. Once you have the breathing down, lie on your back, extending your arms straight out to the sides. Inhale here.
3. Then exhale slowly as you cross your right thigh over your left thigh and let your knees roll to your right. Lieb recommends staying here and continuing this deep breathing for 5 to 10 rounds, depending on your comfort level, before you switch sides and repeat.

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Published November 2011, Prevention | Updated December 2014