Yoga not only effective for weight loss and relaxation. Sports are one, it is also effective to control blood sugar levels.

A study on a small scale to prove that practicing yoga can help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and control blood sugar levels. The study followed 123 adults and seniors are finding that they are adding yoga classes to standard diabetes care managed to lose a few pounds in three months.

Meanwhile, blood sugar levels on average they tend to be stable. Unlike the study group who did not do yoga, blood sugar levels actually increased. The findings are reported in the journal Diabetes Care, which suggests that yoga should not replace other bentukbentuk of sports for people with type 2 diabetes, a disease closely associated with being overweight or obese.

"To really lose weight and control blood sugar, high-powered sports will certainly work better," said Shreelaxmi V Hegde from Srinivas Institute of Medical Science and Research Center in Mangalore, India, told Reuters.

Among the 60 study participants who took yoga classes several times a week, body mass index (BMI)-a measure of weight-height than the average decreased to 25.9 to 25.4. The size of BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.

"In our study the effects of yoga on BMI and blood sugar control was small," said Hegde, lead researcher on this study.

"However, it should be noted that yoga is able to control blood sugar levels are increased in the control group stated," he said.

In addition, the study found that the signs of the so-called oxidative stress decreased in the group who follow yoga. Oxidative stress refers to the situation with the level of reactive oxygen compounds or also called "free radicals"-damaging byproducts of energy use in cell-body's capacity to rise above the menetralisasinya.

Long-term oxidative stress is believed to contribute to the cause of suffering a number of chronic diseases. In this study, the team Hegde measure blood levels of participants from a number of specific chemicals that reflect oxidative stress. They found that the average group who practice yoga, the chemical levels were reduced by 20 percent. The importance of such measurements is not yet clear.

Hegde said, if the reduction of oxidative stress is maintained over time, it can reduce the possibility of suffering from diabetes complications, including heart disease, kidney, nerve damage and damage to blood vessels of the eye.

Furthermore, the researchers said, long-term studies are needed to see if it really happened According to Hegde, yoga may reduce oxidative stress because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, a part of the nervous system that basically acts as a brake than an accelerator of the system sympathetic nerves.

However, there are a number of caveats. Yoga is used in this study is yoga with gentle movements. This exercise is tailored for people who have additional health problems. For example, some specific poses avoided in people who have heart disease.

In the real world, yoga classes varies greatly. Some sports are more powerful with complex movement involving not be appropriate for adults with chronic health conditions. Adults with diabetes can find a yoga class designed specifically for seniors and those with chronic medical conditions.

In the United States, hospitals and local community centers offer a growing number of these classes. Previously, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association released new guidelines method of exercise for patients with type 2 diabetes.

They are advised to run at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise begin to exercise a moderate to severe, for at least three days a week. Patients with type 2 diabetes is also requested to not exceed more than two days without exercise. When training, use of weights to develop muscle mass, are also important in the management of diabetic patients.

Training to improve endurance exercise should be part of a diabetic patient. The new guidelines were published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Mentioned there, training is essential to reduce the risk of diabetes, as well as helping people with diabetes increase insulin production and blood sugar.

Exercise can also improve the lipid profile of patients with diabetes that can lead to decreased levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, as well as weight loss. The author emphasizes that this method of sustained intensity and duration of aerobic activity is very important to them and are expected to achieve a biological effect that can not be achieved from mild physical activity.