Today, practicing yoga is largely seen as a feminine activity; yoga classes are predominantly made up of women, and there are so many stereotypes surrounding the practice that a lot of men are put off and don’t even want to give it a try.
It has only become this way in recent years because if you look back to the origins of yoga, it was actually originally a male-only practice. There are no pre-modern depictions of women practising yogic postures, and it actually took many years for the discipline to accept the entry of women. It is a real shame, as well as being completely ironic that yoga is seen as something that is not masculine – when actually it is and is also a practice very beneficial for men for many reasons.
While some men may be skeptical of the sport, there are many well-known men who advocate it and credit the practice with helping them in different parts of their lives. Football star, David Beckham started practicing yoga after an Achilles’ heel injury and believes it was crucial to his recovery. Beckham now includes yoga as an essential part of his fitness regime. Other famous male stars who are well known for practicing yoga include comedian Russell Brand; actor Robert Downey Jr, who has used Yoga to help him kick his drug addiction; actor Colin Farrell and singer, Sting, who both use it to unwind and relieve stress; and actor Matthew McConaughey also practices it as part of his fitness regime.
The benefits of yoga are both physical and mental. It should not be dismissed as it can be just as effective as lifting weights and here are a few reasons why yoga is so good.
Builds Muscle
If your goal is to build muscle, then yoga is essential. By going to the gym and focusing on your biceps one day, quads on another then there is a chance that muscle groups could be ignored. Yoga, however, builds muscle all over the body and evenly, so there is no chance of missing anything.
Increases strength
A study in 2013 followed men for twelve weeks on a yoga program and found that they had increased their deadlift strength and had substantially improved their lower back, hamstring and shoulder flexibility.
Improves Stamina
As your muscles build, yoga also increases muscles endurance, therefore improving stamina – this means better workouts all around and improved performance in other sporting activities and reduces the risk of injury.
Promotes weight loss
According to a study by the Journal of Alternative Medicine, overweight men who practiced yoga lost four pounds in ten days. Yoga is known for lowering levels of cortisol which is the stress hormone that prompts your body to collect belly fat.
Tones up muscles
Because you have to use your own bodyweight and resistance, yoga helps to create definition in your muscles. It can even help you to tone up your butt as it targets the area more so than other types of exercise. You can learn more here and also find out how relaxing can help you lose that unwanted butt fat too.
Reduces back pain
Studies have found that yoga not only alleviates lower back pain but also helps with fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and other kinds of chronic pain. It’s especially effective if you have a desk job as sitting all day can be really harsh on your back, and underutilized muscles can cause you a lot of pain.
Boosts confidence
Better posture, standing up tall and toned muscles…these are all contributors to increased confidence. If you’re looking good, you’ll be feeling good, and it will show – you won’t be hunched over, you’ll look confident, and you’ll feel it too.
Reduces stress and anxiety
Yoga is so good for the mind, not only does it provide you with time, a moment of calm and an escape from your thoughts, the combination of physical poses, controlled breathing, and relaxation techniques that have been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. It has also been proven that yoga can help with anxiety and depression.
Suitable for all ages and abilities
Unlike sports like football which you might have been good at as a teenager only to find a lot more difficult as you got older, yoga is excellent for all ages and abilities. It has many benefits for your joints and your flexibility, and in many yoga classes, you will often find old ladies getting into positions you wouldn’t have even dreamt of. If they can do it, you can too.
Increases energy and reduces fatigue
Relieving stress and helping you switch off from your thoughts are going to enable you to have a better night’s sleep anyway, but yoga is also a natural way to boost your energy levels.
Increases Range of Motion
This is not the same as flexibility. As many of you who work out regularly will know, a tight muscle group, either hamstrings or glutes or shoulders will limit your ability to train these muscles as you won’t have a full range of motion, and the more you train these muscles, the more limited the range of motion is. Yoga helps to open up and emphasizes moves that can help these problem areas.
Improves Breathing
You breathe without thinking about it, it’s something that comes naturally, but as yoga requires you to focus on inhaling and exhaling and often while holding a touch pose, you soon realize that breathing is more difficult than you might think. Unlike other activities, breathing in yoga slows down rather than speeds up, and it teaches you to take in long, slow breaths which expands your lung capacity. This trains your body to oxygenate itself more efficiently which is essential for cardio activity, strength training, and muscle-building.
Now if that’s not enough to tempt you, the final thing that might is the idea of a yoga holiday. These are increasing in popularity and not just with women. It could be a great excuse to give it a try, detox and truly relax by booking a yoga retreat in a beautiful country! Give it a try and see how good it makes you feel.
