Personal Exercise and Diabetes Experience

Can Yoga Help Control Diabetes? My Experience With Yoga, Brisk Walking, Running and Exercise

This article records one person's experience after restarting yoga and physical exercise following a diabetes diagnosis in 2010. It explains how the author's routine evolved from yoga alone to a combination of brisk walking, running and other exercises. It is a personal account, not a substitute for medical advice or an exercise prescription for every person with diabetes.

Why I Restarted Yoga and Physical Exercise

I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010. The diagnosis surprised me because I had previously trained in yoga, karate and Kalaripayattu. However, pressure from my management-level private-sector job had reduced the time I was spending on regular exercise and yoga.

After learning that I had diabetes, I restarted yoga and other forms of physical activity and began paying closer attention to the effect of different exercise routines on my health.

1. My Experience With Yoga for Diabetes

Because yoga receives considerable attention in India, I initially decided to focus heavily on yoga. I practised for at least 45 minutes a day for about two years. During that period, my diabetes was under control while I was also taking Gemer 2, the medicine prescribed to me at that time.

I cannot separate the effect of yoga from the effect of my medicine, diet, weight, daily activity and other factors. My experience therefore should not be interpreted as proof that yoga alone controlled my blood glucose.

Shoulder Stiffness, Back Pain and Leg Pain

After about two years, I felt that my routine was not adequately exercising all parts of my body. I experienced stiffness in my shoulders as well as back and leg pain. I consulted a physiotherapist and underwent treatment for 21 days. My shoulder movement improved and the pain reduced.

These problems occurred during the period in which I was practising yoga, but that timing alone does not establish that yoga caused them. Technique, pre-existing conditions, posture, workload, overuse or other factors may also contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms.

2. Adding Brisk Walking to Yoga

I then changed my routine. I started brisk walking for about 30 minutes and followed it with a few yoga postures. For me, this combination felt more effective and my diabetes remained under control with the medicines I was taking.

I nevertheless felt that I needed a broader range of movement and conditioning, so I gradually added other exercises to my routine.

3. My Later Routine: Brisk Walking, Running and Other Exercise

The exercise routine that I later found most suitable for myself consisted approximately of:

This is my personal routine, not a recommended starting programme for every reader. A person who has been inactive, has cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, foot problems, joint problems or other medical conditions may require a different form or intensity of activity.

What Worked Best for Me

The combined routine of walking, running and exercises for different parts of the body felt more effective for me than relying on one form of activity. I felt more active and energetic, my stamina improved, and the leg and upper-body discomfort I had previously experienced was no longer troubling me in the same way.

I increased my running gradually. That gradual approach was important because someone starting from a lower level of fitness may not be able to run continuously for 15 minutes at the beginning.

Is Yoga Alone Enough for Diabetes Management?

My experience does not show that yoga is ineffective. I found yoga useful, but I personally preferred a more varied routine that also included aerobic and general physical exercise.

Current ICMR guidance similarly supports a combination of aerobic activity, resistance training and flexibility exercise rather than treating one form of exercise as the only necessary activity. Yoga can form part of that broader approach.

My Advice for People Who Enjoy Yoga

Yoga can be a valuable form of physical activity and may help with flexibility, breathing, relaxation and stress management. In my experience, however, it was better to combine yoga with walking, running or other suitable exercise rather than treating yoga as the sole answer to every health problem.

I am also cautious about exaggerated promotional claims suggesting that a particular exercise, product or personality offers a guaranteed solution to diabetes. Health decisions should be based on reliable medical guidance rather than marketing claims.

Exercise, Medicines and Blood Sugar Control

Exercise can improve fitness and contribute to diabetes management, but it should not be presented as an automatic replacement for medication. In my own experience, exercise and prescribed medicine were used together.

The amount of medication required by a patient can change over time, but any reduction or change should be decided with the treating healthcare professional after reviewing blood-glucose readings, HbA1c, diet, weight, activity and other relevant health factors.

What About Sugar in the Diet?

In my personal routine, some foods containing sugar were still part of my diet while I was exercising regularly. That does not mean that exercise cancels out the effect of sugary foods or that unrestricted sugar intake is safe for a person with diabetes.

Diet for diabetes should be individualized. Exercise, nutrition and medication work together, and decisions about carbohydrate intake should be based on appropriate professional advice and blood-glucose monitoring.

Advertising and Health Claims: Current Legal Context

Health and treatment claims in India are subject to consumer-protection and drug-advertising rules. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 empowers the Central Consumer Protection Authority to act against false or misleading advertisements. The CCPA's Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 provide additional standards for advertising claims and endorsements.

Claims concerning drugs and remedies may also attract the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, including its restrictions on certain treatment advertisements and misleading advertisements relating to drugs.

My Recommendation

In my experience, combining different forms of physical activity worked better for my overall fitness than relying only on yoga. I continue to regard yoga positively, but I would not treat it as a universal or exclusive method for controlling diabetes.

A sensible exercise plan can include walking, aerobic activity, appropriate strength or resistance work, flexibility exercises and yoga, depending on a person's fitness and medical circumstances. Begin gradually, use proper technique, and obtain professional advice when there are medical conditions or symptoms that may affect safe exercise.

Most importantly, exercise should complement-not automatically replace-medical treatment, monitoring and an appropriate diet.

Author note: The author's identity may be disclosed on genuine request, subject to privacy considerations.