We all know how great yoga is for overall health, but did you know that yoga can help you control your diabetes as well? It’s no surprise a quick daily practice can benefit your health, which makes sense as to why it’s thought that yoga can help keep your blood sugar in check while helping you maintain a healthy weight as well.

If you already practice yoga or are thinking about getting started, here are four more reasons to add this fantastic practice to your life!

Cut Stress Levels

Stress is a major cause of disease, and yes that includes diabetes. When we’re stress out, our bodies do not work the way they should. Often times, it causes our body to produce too much or underproduce essential hormones which can throw blood sugar levels out of whack.

The great news is that yoga can help. Consistently practicing yoga and yogic breathing along with a couple of minutes of meditation per day can significantly reduce stress on both the mind and body. This can result in better insulin sensitivity!

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Obesity can cause diabetes, so it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. While you may not think of yoga as strenuous exercise, it can, in fact, help you shed some weight. Try adding yoga to your exercise routine a couple of times per week. You may be surprised at how quickly you tone those muscles!

Reduce High Blood Pressure

Unfortunately, high blood pressure can come along with diabetes which can increase your chances of heart disease. While there are medications to treat hypertension, there are also some natural ways to help get it in check before it spirals out of control. Yoga can help due to its relaxation effect on the body while also promoting optimal circulation.

Drop Sugar Cravings

Do you find yourself craving sweets when you are desperately trying to stay away from them? You’re not alone, and the great news is that yet again yoga can help with this. Not only can exercise help with cravings, but meditation can too. At the end of each yoga practice, work your way up to meditating for a couple of minutes. Being mindful and present can help cut those cravings.

It seems that there’s not much yoga can’t help with. With the research backing its disease and stress preventative effect on the body, it’s a no-brainer to add a yoga practice into your week. Start with 1-2 times per week and work your way up. You may just find your yoga practice to be something you look forward to each week.

[expand title=”References“]
The Art of Living. URL Link. Accessed January 27, 2017.
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