Help Heal Yourself With Yoga

"Yoga improves glucose and insulin levels, which is important in both types of diabetes," Dr. Yang says. "High blood pressure and cholesterol levels—common problems among people with type 2 diabetes—can be alleviated by practicing yoga."

Other studies have turned up more good news about how yoga practice, even after only a short time, can benefit your health. There's evidence that yoga can improve sleep, increase exercise endurance for those with heart conditions or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reduce pregnancy discomforts and lessen low back pain. It also has been shown to help breast cancer patients and survivors reduce fatigue and menopausal symptoms as well as improve emotions.