Medical Benefits of Yoga.
The medical benefits of Yoga are getting to be more widely known these days. Yoga can improve stress, decrease anxiety, even decrease incidence of depression in some cases, and can improve your heart health as well (1).
My focus on the medical benefits of yoga are in two areas that are near and dear to my heart: Yoga for Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Yoga for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Yoga for Patients with Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) is a diagnosis in which the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells thereby impairing the body’s ability to maintain a normal blood sugar. Children and adults with his diagnosis require insulin therapy to maintain normal blood sugars to prevent high blood sugars.
A cornerstone of therapy incorporated into the management of T1D is a healthy lifestyle including physical exercise. Unfortunately, in patients with T1D, cardiovascular exercise, which is thought to be the most beneficial, can cause severe hypoglycemic episodes, or very low blood sugar episodes, which can then alter cardio-protective pathways and can be associated with greater likelihood of hypoglycemia in the future.
I consider myself very blessed to get to care for all types of kiddos in my practice and I do get to see many competitive and even elite athletes in my patient population. However, in this population of athletes, hypoglycemic episodes during practice and/or games are more common due to the nature of the sport as well as the glucose counterregulatory mechanisms in place in the body at baseline (2).
Recent studies have shown that exercises like Yoga, which offer core strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise, can achieve a good mode of physical activity and provide glucose homeostasis for the patient. To break this down further, this means that Yoga is a way to get a great workout without having multiple episodes of dangerously low blood sugars!
Yoga can and should, of course, be a component of a multifaceted and diverse physical activity regime.
One of my goals with Jeet Victory Yoga is to offer classes tailored to patients with Type 1 Diabetes to encourage a safe physical activity that will not cause adverse effects to the blood sugars overall.
If you are interested in participating in Yoga and you have Type 1 Diabetes, please consult your physician to ensure it is safe for you.
Yoga for Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Yoga is becoming more prevalent in the training regiments of many different realms of athletics. Yoga is a particularly useful tool when it comes to injury prevention in “explosive” sports like basketball and tennis.
Yoga is a valuable aspect of injury prevention as a whole as it increases core stability, increases flexibility and range of motion, and can increase the ability to engage in relaxation during the sport as well (3).
Many studies have been conducted including randomized control trials regarding the benefits of yoga. Overall, results suggest that regular yoga practice increases the flexibility and balance of athletes. Additionally, it may enhance athletic performances that require these characteristics discussed here (4).
Literature reviews consistently show that Yoga for Athletes prevents injury, decreases time in rehabilitation after injury, and can enhance performance overall.
I can personally attest that Yoga was essential for me to overcome my own sports-related injuries over the years.
Since we have a very fit and active family, injury prevention is a priority for me both at home and with Jeet Victory Yoga. I look forward to tailoring classes to your needs to help in your athletic journey!
If you are an athlete, please consult your physician prior to starting Yoga to ensure it is a good fit for your medical history.
References
1. Smith A et al. A randomized comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety. Complement Ther Med.2007 Jun;15(2):77-83.
2. Galassetti P, Riddell MC. Exercise and type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Compre Physiol. 2013 Jul;3(3):1309-36.
3. Ryba TV. The benefits of yoga for athletes: the body. Int J Athlet Ther and Train. 2020 Jul;11(2):32-34.
4. Polsgrove MJ et al. Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes. Int J Yoga. Jan-Jun 2016;9(1);27-34.
5. Riddell MC et al. Exercise management in type 1 diabetes: a consensus statement. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2017 May;5(5):377-390.
6. Houlder SK, Yardley JE. Continuous glucose monitoring and exercise in type 1 diabetes: past, present, and future. Biosensors. 2018 Aug 3;8(3):73.