Amongst the many myths surrounding Yoga; “you have to be flexible”, “yoga is a religion”, “it’s too easy”, “it’s too hard!” ….is this idea that yoga is “just for women”.

Now, there’s no doubt that yoga is more popular with women than with men. Most yoga classes have far more female than male participants. However, this wasn’t always the case. In the records of time, yoga was traditionally practiced almost exclusively by men in ancient India. With its arrival in the West however, yoga began to draw a large female following. Regardless, yoga is not a gender-specific activity. Men and women alike can practice and benefit from a regular yoga practice.

When you’ve never tried yoga before, it can be intimidating, especially if you’ve been seeing the jaw-dropping, super bendy, pretzel-like poses all over social media these days, but relax: it’s actually the most basic postures - not the fancy positions - that provide you with the foundation of flexibility and strength that we all need.

5 Reasons Men Should Do Yoga

1. Relieve stress
We all find ways to deal with stress.  But sometimes coming to the gym all amped up and letting rip on the punching bag might just leave you feeling even more tired and aggressive!  Yoga on the other hand, can introduce you to a new way of dealing with things; along with training your body, why not train your mind, gain some clarity and see the bigger picture?

2. Gain flexibility
Think about how a simple spinal twist might improve your Golf swing?  And not only that, it will stimulate your digestion too…ahhh the wonders of Yoga.

3. Build muscle
In Yoga we can un-lock hidden range of motion and increases access to more muscle fibres, thus allowing for more substantial hypertrophy (GAINS!) in any given muscle group.  If you supplement your regular lifting routine with yoga classes, you’ll be able to access those more “ignored” muscle groups.

4. Help prevent workout injuries
Most yoga classes begin with a reminder to honour your body’s needs and limits on that particular day. This basic ability to scan and assess yourself as you practice will help reduce the incidence of injury when running or playing other sports. Plus, flexible muscles and fluid fascia will heal and recover more quickly after working out or getting strained.

5. Calm your mind
In the midst of a jam-packed schedule, committing to the relaxed space of a yoga class might be the only way for some of us to slow down and actually breathe. A 2013 study found that yoga relieves mild clinical depression, even in people that didn’t take antidepressants, and was also was found to promote better sleep.  Furthermore, a study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that 20 minutes of Hatha yoga stimulates brain function more than walking or jogging on the treadmill for the same amount of time.

So, I say – what are you waiting for guys??

Written by Vicki Douglas