Yoga for Gestational Diabetes

Yoga is one of the best forms of additional treatment for people with gestational diabetes. Yoga, along with a planned balanced diet, can help keep stress under control and balance the vital parameters within the body by keeping diabetes under check. 

Can Yoga protect from Gestational Diabetes? 

Many women get diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. In such cases, yoga asanas for gestational diabetes can help improve both physical and mental health parameters for pregnant women living with diabetes. Many yoga asanas effectively improve the gestational diabetes symptoms, and here is all you need to know about them.

Yoga Asanas for Gestational Diabetes

Yoga for gestational diabetes during pregnancy is effective for both preventing and managing the symptoms of gestational diabetes. Many yoga asanas help maintain blood glucose levels. Yoga asanas, along with a healthy, well-balanced diet, can help control gestational diabetes to a large extent. By learning simple and helpful yoga poses, pregnant women can improve their health. These poses are great for gestational diabetes and maintaining weight, and improving blood sugar levels during pregnancy. 

Some yoga asanas for gestational diabetes include savasana (corpse pose), viparita karani (legs up the wall pose), tadasana (mountain pose), mandukasana (frog pose), and halasana (plough pose- not for pregnant women).  Here are some of the most effective yoga asanas for gestational diabetes and how you can do them:

1. Legs up the Wall 

Legs up the wall pose is also known as viparita Karani. This pose helps to stimulate the internal organs. This pose has a remarkable impact on gestational diabetes. This yoga for gestational diabetes helps lower the sugar level and improve the energy levels in the body. This pose is ideal for pregnant women as well. 

Here is how you can do this pose:

1. Keep a towel under your head and lie alongside the wall for some support.
2. Raise your legs and make an angle of 90 degrees with your legs parallel to the wall. 
3. Relax your neck, chin, and head.
4. Keep your arms beside the body and stretch them.
5. Keep up with this pose for about 5- 10 minutes, and gently slide your legs towards the floor/ ground. 

2. Reclining Bound Angle

The reclining bound angle pose is also known as supta baddha konasana. This pose is very effective in managing gestational diabetes. It relaxes your whole body and helps normalise the levels of blood sugar. This pose also improves blood circulation. This pose is ideal for pregnant women as well.

Here is how you can do it:

1. Lean on your hand by bending your back towards the floor. Bring your torso near the floor and support your head and neck by keeping a towel under it.
2. Start rotating your inner thighs in an outward direction. Widen your knees by bringing them away from your hips. Laying arms on the floor, make an angle of 45 degrees from the torso. 
3. Stay in this pose for about 1 minute.
4. Press your thighs together with your hands and push your back away from the floor. 

3. Seated Forward Bend

The seated forward bend pose is also known as paschimottanasana. This yoga for gestational diabetes is best for relieving stress, stimulating internal organs such as kidneys, uterus, ovaries, liver, etc. and improving flexibility. This pose is ideal for pregnant women as well.

Here is the process to do it:

1. Sit on a mat. Place your heels away from your body and put palms beside your hips.
2. Hold your feet with your hands if you can reach them by keeping your torso long and straight. 
3. With every inhale, lift your torso a little bit, and with every exhale, bend more forwardly. 
4. Stay in this pose for about 2-3 minutes. 
5. Lift your torso by inhaling to come up from this position. 

4. Plough Pose

The plough pose, or the halasana, brings flexibility and improves blood circulation in the body. This pose has many health benefits, including managing symptoms of gestational diabetes. This pose is not for pregnant women.

Here is how you can do it:

1. Stack up some blankets and place a mat. Lie on the mat and rest your back over the stack of blankets. 
2. Straighten legs towards the roof by bringing knees near the chest.
3. Support your back with a hand on the mid-back. Lift your hips against the floor. 
4. Now gradually move your legs backwards of the head until it starts to touch the floor behind your head.
5. By achieving this pose, remove your hands from the back and stay in this pose for a few minutes.
6. Now slowly bring your legs back and place them on the floor. 

5. Cobra Pose 

Cobra pose is also known as bhujangasana. This pose increases energy and reduces fatigue. This pose is beneficial for people who have gestational diabetes. Pregnant women should avoid this pose but it can be practised in the first trimester.

Process: 

1. Lay down on your belly.
2. Extend your legs and toes straight backwards.
3. Press down with your hands and start lifting your chest and opposing the shoulder by keeping them back and down.
4. Keep your neck straight. 
5. Keep shoulders away from ears and arms straight. Stay in this pose for about 1 min.

6. Bow Pose

Bow pose is also known as dhanurasana. This pose stimulates adrenal glands. It is best for stretching shoulders, chest, hips, abdomens, and other parts. It maintains the blood sugar level very effectively. It is not ideal for pregnant women.

Process:

1. Lie on your belly on a mat.
2. Grab the ankles from the outer edges.
3. Lift your head and chest by pushing down your thighs while grabbing the ankles.
4. Maintain this pose for about five breaths. 

7. Half lord of the Fishes

This pose is also called Ardha matsyendrasana. This pose helps build up strength and improve the stimulation of the blood. This pose is ideal for pregnant women as well.

Process:

1. Sit in sukhasana. Keep the right knee on the left knee. 
2. Put the right foot on the mat outside of the left knee.
3. Raise your left hand towards the ceiling. Put the left elbow on the right knee.
4. Inhale and exhale more often. 
5. Repeat this pose on the other side 

Bottomline

Yoga for gestational diabetes is an effective way to prevent and improve gestational diabetes. Women during pregnancy can also do yoga asanas like reclining bound angle and half lord of fishes. Blood sugar levels and stimulation of internal organs are maintained with these asanas. Doing these yoga poses every day for about 20-30 minutes with a balanced diet will reduce gestational diabetes.