There’s no denying that women dominate most yoga classes, but many men are starting to jump into the mat and practice yoga. Because yoga has a lot of benefits to offer, a lot of men have already jumped on board and decided to embrace the beauty of it. But, can guys really do yoga?
A lot of men fear that since they are not innately flexible, yoga is not ideal for them. The truth is that flexibility is not a requirement for yoga because once you tried it, you surely have a lot to learn from it, including flexibility.
So, if you’re a guy and you don’t want to miss out on yoga’s incredible benefits, including increased flexibility, balance and lung capacity, and reduced stress, then you should start doing it ASAP. Stop worrying if it’s weird because yoga is for everyone.
First Things First: What Men Should Do in a Yoga Class
If you are now convinced to hop on the mat and start your yoga journey, there are just a few tips that you’d want to take note of. This will surely be helpful once you attended your first yoga class.
Prepare
You can prepare yourself by learning about the various styles of yoga. You can also choose in advance one type that suits you best, so you’ll know which one you should focus on.
To get a sense of a typical yoga class, you can also watch some yoga videos on YouTube or other yoga websites. This will help you prepare for your first class.
Enroll in a class.
To start with, select an intro level class. You’ll actually be shocked by how easy you are going to learn.
You can opt to lay your mat down in the back row for your first few visits, so you can see what the other individuals around you are doing. This helps you to learn, prevents your neck from straining to see what’s happening, and gives you an incredible view of your yoga classmates.
Remain calm and focus on your breathing.
Yoga is not easy. Don’t freak out if you can’t perfect all the moves on your first try. Progress is meant to be slow and steady. So, keep calm and take some deep breathes.
Deep abdominal breathing is an important part of yoga. And training yourself to breathe deeply through yoga can surely help you reduce stress.
Why Yoga: Benefits of Yoga on Men
You surely have heard of the amazing benefits that yoga can do to your body, and those might be the reason why your mind was piqued and you landed on this article. If you are looking for more reasons to try and start practicing yoga, here are some.
Increased Range of Motion
You may think versatility is the same as a range of motion, but it’s slightly different. Many guys know that they have a tight muscle group, but they do not recognize the limits to their ability to practice in a full range of motion.
The truth is, the more you train them (your muscles) in a restricted range of motion, the more limited you become. But a well-designed yoga class will help you increase your range of motion.
Relieve Chronic Lower Back Pain
Sitting or standing for hours can bring you some serious pain in the neck and back. Yoga is one of the easiest ways to combat tension and misalignment, strengthening the back, neck, and shoulders. It encourages healthy posture to avoid potential aches and pains.
Relieves Stress
Yoga is one of the best ways to improve your mental health naturally. It is known to make the mind clear and calm and even fight mild depression. Its calming effects can also help people who suffer from anxiety.
Provides Active Rest
One of the challenges of becoming an engaged athlete is to find out what to do with a day of active rest. There are days when exercise can be included, but typical exercises should be refrained from. It’s a good thing that you can always start with a 60-minute, level-one yoga class. These are often available at full-service gyms.
Boost Bone Health
Yoga has several poses that can improve your bone health. These poses expand your movement range and overall versatility. Some studies also indicate that the risk of osteoporosis can be reduced by yoga.
Enhances Your Over-all Health
Yoga is a great place to start if you want to make a significant lifestyle change since it can literally be practiced anywhere. Yoga also encourages both physical health and mental strength.
Beginner Yoga Poses for Men
Yoga can certainly be done by both men and women, but here are some specific yoga poses that are very beneficial for men.
Warrior II
A perfect way to create full-body strength is through the Warrior II pose. The hips, chest, and shoulders are opened, and the ankles, calves, and thighs are strengthened with this yoga pose.
Low Lunge
Low Lunge is the perfect yoga pose for men because it enables the opening of the hip flexors. It is also a perfect way to exercise balance. This yoga pose lengthens and strengthens much of the body, including the hips, chest, spine, knees, and ankles.
Mountain (Tadasana)
For all the standing poses, a basic but powerful mountain pose builds a stable base. It supports and gives your feet flexibility, enhances your balance, and stimulates your thighs and core.
Boat (Navasana)
Although the boat pose is mostly known for its ab-busting ability, it also works on your deep hip flexors, as well as the spine. Even your shoulders will get stronger as you put in the arms.
Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Uttasana allows the muscles to stretch, improve blood circulation and alleviate tension. If you are an active man who wants to improve yourself and regain your core, this is the perfect yoga pose. The back body, including the hamstrings, calves, and knees, is being opened with the Standing Forward Fold pose.
There are a lot of yoga poses out there that you’ll surely learn once you get a good grip of the basic poses.
The Bottom Line
Yoga is valuable for both women and men of all skill levels and abilities. So, stop worrying if yoga is for you or not because it is for everyone. Do not miss out on its benefits just because you think it is weird for a guy to do yoga.
READ ALSO: How Long Does It Take to Get Good at Yoga?
