Abstract
Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease primarily caused by a combination of two main factors: defective insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells and the inability of insulin-sensitive tissues to respond to insulin. Yoga and walking are effective strategies for the management of T2DM and the promotion of wellness in diabetics. Materials and methods A quasi-experimental design was adopted to evaluate the effect of yoga and walking on blood glucose levels and quality of life in adults with T2DM. Data were collected from December 2, 2023, to March 3, 2024, from the Mirza areas of the Kamrup Rural district of Assam. This pilot study included 20 persons with type 2 diabetes who were divided into four groups of five each. Group I did yoga as an intervention, Group II did walking as an intervention, and Group III combined yoga and walking on alternate days as an intervention. Group IV was the control group. A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select samples that met specific inclusion criteria. Results There was a significant improvement in fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels for the yoga (F = 9.48, p = 0.002) and walking (F = 8.68, p = 0.002) groups. However, the postprandial blood sugar (PPBS) score was only significant in the yoga group (F = 35.34, p = 0.004). Over time, all three intervention groups had a statistically significant drop in HbA1c levels (p-values = 0.03, 0.03, and 0.02, respectively). Regarding quality-of-life scores, the differences between group categories were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Concurrently with the group comparison, domains were also compared: in the psychological domain, the walking group exhibited a highly significant improvement (F = 28.89, p < 0.006). The walking group was the only one to demonstrate highly significant development in the social relationship domain (F = 28.89, p = 0.006). The yoga groups exhibited significant improvements in the environmental domain (F = 125.88, p = 0.001). Conclusion Across all intervention groups, the results suggest a substantial time-dependent decrease in acute blood glucose levels (FBS and PPBS), with the combined yoga and walking group exhibiting the most substantial improvements.