Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by admin
Yoga tends to be known as more of a female-dominated activity, but why is that the case? When you look at an advertisement for a yoga class, most of the time, the photo is of all women in the class. Where are all the yoga classes for the men who like a good stretch or want to try something new without being the only man in a room full of women?
Doing yoga actually has a ton of amazing benefits that apply to women and men. Looking back into yoga’s history, it was a man who wrote the first written yoga representations. It somehow transformed into a more feminine activity over the years, but it shouldn’t be that way.
This could be because men don’t feel like they are flexible enough or spiritual enough. But in reality, yoga doesn’t have to do with your fitness or flexibility level whatsoever; anybody can do it.
Even doing just 10 minutes of yoga every day can help improve your sleep and reduce stress, which are two things every woman and man could use. If you are still second-guessing whether or not to start yoga practice, here are 9 benefits of yoga for men specifically that will change life for the better:
1. Reduces Stress
Taking the time for yourself other than watching tv or playing a video game is really important to your mental health. Men tend to sometimes use these times to block out their thoughts and any ongoing stress that may be going on in their lives.
Regular yoga practice can help take your mind off life for a little while and get rid of any negativity, improve your mood and help give you the ability to bring yourself to a calm state of mind. It is also known to help with anxiety, lower blood pressure, and reduce your heart rate.
2. Increase Strength and Flexibility
It is no surprise that doing yoga often will help increase your overall strength and flexibility. Stretching into different positions and using muscles that don’t get used often will allow your body to move more freely and become more flexible. Yoga is also a workout on its own; staying still in strenuous positions for a period of time takes lots of balance, strength, and stamina.
There are also so many yoga poses and workouts that you can find one specifically targeted towards strengthening or stretching a certain part of your body, like your arms or back muscles. Increased strength and flexibility can be helpful in all areas of your life, not just for fitness. This means that adding yoga into your life can benefit your body no matter what your lifestyle is.
3. Improves Your Workouts Overall
Men who work out daily or constantly can benefit from adding regular yoga practice into their fitness routines. It can help clear your mind if you do yoga before a workout to prepare and put all your focus and energy into your exercise.
The same can help calm your mind after a high-intensity workout and other physical activity, where easy stretches and breathing techniques can be practiced. Since yoga also improves flexibility and mobility, that will also help improve your overall workout and mindset.
You can even substitute a full workout for a long yoga session, as some of the poses out there can be just as difficult and intense.
4. Improve Sex Life
Yes, you read that correctly. Men who do yoga are known to have an improved sex life and sexual performance. Less stress, more stamina and balance, and more flexibility mean learning new fun moves to impress your partner. Yoga can help improve just about every aspect of your intimate life, including better orgasms, confidence, and erections.
Since it also helps with anxiety and body awareness, you will be able to be more present and in the moment with your partner, not worrying about work or what chores need to be done later, which can also help your blood pressure.
5. Can Help with a Better Night Sleep
Yoga can also help men with getting a better night’s sleep. I think most people would agree; their sleep could always use some improvement. Sleep is so important for a ton of different reasons and can severely impact your day negatively if you don’t get enough rest or a full eight hours of sleep.
Doing yoga calms your mind and releases stress and tension held within your muscles, making it feel better on your mind and body when you crawl into bed. It can aid in not only falling asleep easier but staying asleep longer and more deeply. So when you wake up, you will feel rested and ready to take on the day.
6. Weight Loss
Since yoga is essentially a workout on its own, it can help with weight loss like a regular fitness routine can. Yoga requires you to use your whole body and muscles and stay in positions for periods of time. It is good for your gut and stomach health as all the twisting and turning is like giving your organs a massage. This can also help increase your metabolism, which can help with weight loss.
There are even certain yoga classes geared towards weight loss as the overall goal, so you can adjust your routine to those positions if losing weight is something you are trying to achieve. One of the best parts about yoga is that you don’t have to be in good shape to start doing it.
There are easy beginner poses, stretches, and techniques that someone who has never even done yoga once before can benefit from. It can be overwhelming to start a weight loss journey, but yoga is a great way to start.
7. Relieve Lower Back Pain
One of the most common injuries and sore places on both men and women is their back, specifically the lower back region. We as humans hold so much stress and tension in this area, and when this builds up over time, it can cause chronic and uncomfortable pain. Doing yoga and stretching out your back muscles is a great way to relieve some of the tension and chronic pain.
The right yoga posture can help realign your neck, back, and shoulders which can easily stiffen up if you are sitting for long periods of time during the day. Yoga can help with not only lower back pain but upper and middle areas. If you do specific poses to target these areas, it can end up really making a difference in your posture, which will help prevent further pain.
8. Feel Motivated and Awake
An obvious benefit to taking up yoga as a man is to just feel more motivated, awake, and present during the day. No matter what job takes up your day, it sometimes can be hard to feel motivated to get the work done and just feeling present when speaking to other people.
Yoga can help clear your mind, so you can focus more and not feel so weighed down from the workday. Yoga is a good idea to do every day of the week, not just before or after work. Starting the day with even just 10 minutes of yoga, practicing your breathing technique, and stretching can end up turning your whole day from feeling lazy to productive and motivated.
9. Prevent Injuries
This last benefit mostly applies to men who are interested in yoga but also are heavily involved in sports. Particular yoga poses can help prevent injuries and stretch previous muscles that might have suffered an injury in the past.
There is also always the risk of being injured while working out, not just while playing sports. Combining all of the previously listed benefits work together to help you and your body understand, react and take care of previous and future injuries.
Since yoga helps calm the mind and increase your body awareness, you will be able to communicate and understand how your body is feeling more accurately. Having this sense of awareness helps you recognize when a part of your body is hurting and what parts need to be focused on for that session.
Conclusion
It’s clear that yoga has tons of benefits specifically tailored towards men. Since the yoga world is predominately just women, men don’t take the time to see what it is all about. If you work out often and intensely or participate in lots of sports, yoga is up your alley.
If you don’t do either of those things, yoga is still a great opportunity. From our list of benefits, it’s clear that yoga practice is about the mind and body connection, not just a workout. It is a workout for your brain, a great way to calm down and relax, and a good way to stretch muscles that could use a bit more attention.