Yoga is not easy. The idea that it is just for women or only for females is outdated. The opposite is true. Yoga can be more mentally and physically rewarding than many other forms of exercise. Yoga is the only discipline that strengthens your body, concentrates your mind, and promotes well-being. Yoga reduces stress, improves mental acuity and flexibility, and promotes a body-mind connection. Understanding how your body moves will improve overall performance and agility. Yoga is a great exercise for men because it can benefit them in many ways.
What are the benefits of Yoga for men
Strength. Instead of using weights and resistance machines, Yoga poses Use your weight to build muscle strength. Yoga poses combine dynamic muscle movements as you move from one pose to another with isometric contractions while holding each pose. Asanas work for both large and smaller muscle groups simultaneously. Postures such as inversions and extended-hold Plank poses challenge the entire upper body. Standing poses such as Chair Pose or Warriors II work the legs similarly.
Flexibility. The reason why men shy away from doing Yoga is that they think they are not flexible enough. This is not a good reason for guys to avoid Yoga. Your muscles will be tightened and shortened by weight lifting and endurance sports. These exercises can reduce flexibility and limit range of motion if they are not stretched enough. Many popular sports, such as golf, tennis, and baseball, asymmetrically tighten and stress the body, causing further imbalances. Yoga is an excellent exercise for creating a physical balance. It lubricates joints, lengthens muscle fibers, and realigns your body. Yoga is an excellent way to prevent and heal structural imbalances and repetitive motion injuries.
Body Awareness. We associate Yoga in our culture with fluidity, flexibility, and balance. Men are stereotyped for their clumsiness and awkwardness. They’re also portrayed as being insecure, rigid, and unstable. Understandably, men may not feel fit to do Yoga. Some people, regardless of gender, are more flexible than others. Some people have a good sense of coordination, while others do not. Yoga is about change. You are constantly paying attention to your grace and flexibility. You may be able to see the floor today when you bend down. You may be able to touch the ground tomorrow. Yoga is a non-judgmental practice, so a man’s lack of flexibility or presence is not judged. It’s more of a motivation to keep practicing Yoga to be aware of the changes in your body.
Injury prevention. Your body can compensate for tightness and areas of weakness. The body will compensate for a weak muscle by activating other muscles around it to complete an exercise or movement. Over time this imbalance can lead to structural patterns of tension and strain. Yoga requires that students activate, strengthen and lengthen muscle groups that are often overlooked or unused. This awareness can help prevent injuries by identifying and correcting imbalances before they escalate.
Recovery. It is well known that Yoga promotes flexibility and relaxation throughout the body. Relaxed muscles and tissues allow more blood and fluids to enter the muscles and connective tissue. This increased blood flow provides more oxygen and nutrients to overworked muscle areas, which improves recovery and promotes healing.
The five benefits listed above are only the tip of the iceberg. Yoga improves digestion, sleep, mental acuity, and heart health. You can encourage a man you know who needs to practice Yoga to watch some beginner yoga videos or, even better, bring him to class to do it with him. You can ease him into the practice by taking a class such as Deep Stretch, Gentle or Slow Flow. We’re sure he will be hooked once he has experienced the benefits of Yoga.