Gentle yoga may help people with type 2 diabetes reduce a little weight and controlling blood sugar to keep it within normal levels. Similarly, a small study suggests.
Research, with respondents 123 middle-aged adults and seniors, find that they are adding yoga classes to their standard diabetes care showed weight loss during the three months of training. At the same time, blood sugar levels on average they remained stable - in contrast to the control group did not do yoga ang, where their blood sugar showed a rising trend.
The findings are reported in the journal Diabetes Care. However, this study does not suggest that yoga can replace other forms of exercise for people with type 2 diabetes - a disease commonly associated with obesity.
To really lose weight and control blood sugar, exercise 'more sweat' would work better, according to Shreelaxmi V Srinivas Hegde from the Institute of Medical Science and Research Center in Mangalore, India.
Among the 60 study participants who took yoga classes several times a week, Body Mass Index (BMI) on average - a measure of weight in relation to height - down from 25.9 to 25.4. BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.
"In our study the effects of yoga on BMI and blood sugar control is marginal," said Hegde, the lead researcher told Reuters Health via email.
"But," he added, "It should be noted that yoga to control blood sugar levels are elevated in the control group stated."