Physical Education · Ch 3 — Yoga as Preventive Measure for Lifestyle Disease
Asanas to Prevent Diabetes Mellitus
Asanas to Prevent Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a lifestyle disease in which the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood stays too high. This happens either because the pancreas does not make enough of the hormone insulin, or because the body cannot use the insulin it makes properly. Insulin is the hormone that allows glucose from the food we eat to move out of the blood and into the cells, where it is used for energy. When insulin is lacking, glucose builds up in the blood and gradually damages the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.
Diabetes - Know the Symptoms
Common warning signs of diabetes include: being always tired, frequent urination, sudden weight loss, wounds that are slow to heal, always feeling hungry, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, constant thirst, and an increased tendency to infections. Recognising these early signs helps a person seek treatment before complications set in.
How Yoga Helps
Regular practice of specific asanas and pranayama helps the body manage diabetes in several ways. Forward bends, twists and prone back-bends gently compress and then release the abdominal organs, improving the blood supply to and the working of the pancreas, liver and intestines. Better-functioning abdominal organs, combined with the weight reduction and improved circulation that yoga brings, help the body use glucose more efficiently. Yoga is a preventive and supportive measure - it supports medical treatment and a healthy diet, and does not replace them.