World Yoga Day: Yoga brings respite to diabetics

Chennai: As the International Day of Yoga throws the spotlight on the ancient Indian art of preventing diseases, an eight-week study on Yoga asanas on diabetics showed significant dip in fasting and post-prandial blood sugar levels among diabetics.

Considerable decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low density lipoprotein and increase in high density lipoprotein were also observed in a study on 40 Diabetic working men aged 30 to 45 years. They were selected from various hospitals in Chennai in 2015. They were segregated into two groups – experimental group (A) and control group (B), comprising 20 men each. While the experimental group practiced Yoga for six days in a week for eight weeks, the Group-B acted as control group, as per a study conducted by G. Ramakrishnan, Ph. D scholar, Department of Yoga, Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, Chennai, and Dr. R. Elangovan, prof and head, department of yoga, TNPESU, Chennai.

The control group was not exposed to any specific training but was “in active rest.” The pre and post-tests were conducted before and after the training for the above two groups and Fasting and post prandial blood sugar tested through labs. Data pertaining to the variables collected from the two groups before and after the training periods were statistically analysed by using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to determine the significant difference and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study results showed that fasting blood sugar and post prandial blood sugar were significantly reduced due to the influence of eight week training of Yogic practices than the control group among diabetic men.

The study, ‘Effect of Yoga practices on selected bio-chemical variables among diabetic men’ published in IJERSS journal, noted that Yogic practices could be beneficial in reducing fasting blood sugar and post prandial blood sugar among diabetic men.

Yoga reduced auditory reaction time
Yoga helped to reduce auditory reaction time (ART) from right as well as left hand. The shortening of ART implies an improvement in the information processing and reflexes and is the first such report in diabetic patients.

The changes in blood glucose levels may be due to improved insulin sensitivity, decline in insulin resistance and increased sensitivity of the pancreatic b cells to glucose signals. Yoga improved the ‘heart friendly’ status of lipid profile in the subjects who were pre and post-menopausal, the decrease in cardiovascular risk profile is of  greater significance.

Special postal cover released

Soldier, sailor, student, professional and home makers too joined yoga enthusiasts and exponents in bending, stretching and performing breath control exercises in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. The release of special postal cover by Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, too, marked the International Day of Yoga on Wednesday.

Chennai woke up to the mass yoga sessions on a pleasant morning. Leading the celebration here, Mr. Gajapathi Raja released a special postal cover at SBOA School and Junior College.

On behalf of the armed forces, all service personnel of Dakshin Bharat Area celebrated the day in the city at Palm Grove Environmental Centre. Lt Gen RK Anand, General Commanding Officer, Dakshin Bharat Area said that through the Yoga Day, it is intended that the ancient Indian heritage of Yoga could be imbibed to accommodate a comprehensive disciple of physical, mental and spiritual practice in to our lives.

A similar event was held at INS Adyar, Chennai. Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, officers and navy personnel along with their families participated. "Nearly 500 service personnel participated in the event conducted at the Palm Grove Environmental Centre," an official release said.  

Union minister of state for tourism and culture Mahesh Sharma who joined the third International Day of Yoga at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore along with Governor Ch Vidhyasagar Rao, tweeted: "Adiyogi is one of the most iconic & inspiring places in the world for people to take up Yoga. #InternationalYogaDay." Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan Akbar in an event conducted in Madurai.

A release from VIT University Vellore said, a yoga training camp was inaugurated by S. D. Singh, Commissioner, Employees Provident Fund Organisation in the presence of G. Viswanathan, founder Chancellor of VIT University. More than 200 students and faculty members took part in the training camp and demonstrated various asanas.

The day was also observed by Southern Railway and its general manager Vashishta Johri distributed a handbook on Common Yoga Protocol. The book was published by ministry of Ayush.

In Chennai, 30,000 students and adults in over 60 locations rolled out their Yoga mats and celebrated the day. The event was organised by the Art of Living in collaboration with Rotary Club East.