The Positive Effects Of Qi Gong In The Treatment Of Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes

Medical researchers all agree; for managing diabetes, both for type 1 and especially the more common Type 2, exercise works extremely well as a self-regulating and effective modality. In Type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin (insulin deficiency) to manage blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin, (which is manufactured in adequate amounts at the cellular level) resulting in the person having a constantly high level of blood sugar.

According to a study entitled “The Effect of Qi-Gong Relaxation Exercise on the Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus”, published by the American Diabetes Association, in 2002, “Due to the fact that obese patients benefited from Qi gong exercises which led to a significant reduction in C-peptide in this study, researchers have concluded that Qi-gong exercises can indeed improve insulin resistance. Various other studies described relaxation training’s effects on type 2 diabetes, which meant that Qi-gong may improve glucose metabolism due to the body’s relaxation response from the exercises. Based on these findings, it was concluded that Qi-gong relaxation exercise is a proven beneficial complementary treatment for people suffering from type 2 diabetes.”

This discovery is important for a number of reasons; one, it indicates factors which are inter-related, which may lead to degradation in overall health. This degradation may be triggered by one or more of the conditions: heart disease, obesity, and type 1 or 2 diabetes. Each of these conditions may lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which may involve emotional or recreational eating that in turn, can result in both or one of the other conditions. The conditions may probably worsen as activity decreases, and as the conditions worsen, life can becomes more stressful.

A type of immune deficiency disease, Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented although it can be properly managed through exercises, diet, and drugs. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is considered to be manageable and preventable. If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetic conditions, he may suggest certain lifestyle modifications. The advised changes may be profoundly simple, but in the start, can be agonizingly difficult: Exercise and Diet. Reference was made a while ago to benefits for obese patients, most people are aware that obesity can be a predecessor for type 2 diabetes and heart conditions. Of course, diet will entail both the amounts and types of food consumed.

Exercise can help regulate the level of blood sugar by boosting the uptake of glucose. It can help create muscle cells that can replace the fat stored in the body: muscle utilizes more sugar. Exercise burns calories which can maintain and/or help you lose weight. For people with Type 2 diabetes, exercise promotes sensitivity of their body cells to insulin. As this sensitivity is increased, the natural insulin produced by your body begins to works better helping your blood sugar levels to likewise get better. According to the University of Iowa Healthcare Hospitals & Clinics, when you perform exercise every other day at least, you will more likely to experience this effect. Following a proper diet and regular exercise may help bring your blood sugars within the target range without the need to use drugs.

Your doctor or healthcare provider in Overland Park should monitor your exercise if you have been living a sedentary lifestyle for quite a while or have been ill or injured; too fast and too much exercise can cause more harm than good. Your exercise plan may lead to failure if it causes you to over-stresses (if it is “too hard”, or hurts too much after). Qi gong is one of the exercises recommended for the management of diabetes mellitus. For the three conditions of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes stress is the one factor that is most common among people who have had encounters with the three diseases. Stress can be controlled by real relaxation (this does not mean eating a bag of treats while lying around the pool or watching shows on your 50” plasma TV). Qi gong gives you at the same time a dose of exercise and real relaxation therapy.

Qi Gong is an ideal way to start up an exercise. It may lead to higher levels of duration and intensity without you needing to “work out” on a gym or buy and use expensive equipment. People who perform some type of qi gong exercises usually see it as play than work. Its popularity is growing by the day and may someday rival that of Tai Chi, another form of relaxation exercise that secures your well-being and health. Tai Chi is actually one style of Qi Gong which has literally thousands of styles and forms. However, all these styles and forms have essentially the same core: gentle and slow movements synchronized with rhythmic, deep breathing. Qi Gong exercises may be very easy, basic, and simple or it may be difficult, confusing, and extremely complex – for every person there is a corresponding form or style. People can learn it from video and books; however the best and easiest way to learn is from a good instructor in a group. You’ll know if your instructor is competent during the first session.

If you want to learn Qi Gong in a class or group, you can check the program listing of your community center. If you reside near a university campus or a college, you may check their listings of “continuous learning” programs, and if there is a local martial art studio near your area that offer Tai Chi, you can call them to inquire about qi gong. There are listings that are posted on-line as free basic samplings or paid courses of learning.