If you are amongst those who believe in the notion that – yoga is only for women then you are having a big misunderstanding about this sacred art. There is also yoga for men that helps you have better digestion, fight back pain, and improve overall body posture. Yoga offers you a holistic and natural way to stay physically and mentally fit in the long run.

You should know the benefits of yoga for men include stress relief, overall better health, and physical fitness. The regular practice of yogic arts helps you improve cardio-respiratory functioning, and enhances the mood. One major reason why many men would want to practice yoga is it helps in improving their reproductive health.

Yoga goes a lot further than just helping you become physically active. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, there is a host of benefits that the regular practice of yoga offers. Let us check them out.

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The Advantages of Yoga for Men

Yoga is not just for women as the majority of advertisement boards and hoardings might make you believe. Men too can gain a lot from inculcating regular yogic practices into their lifestyle.

Given below are the ten major advantages of practicing yoga for men.

1. Helps Build Muscles

The regular practice of yoga helps you understand that lifting the iron isn’t the only way to stay fit and build some muscle. The power yoga for men utilizes bodyweight and resistance exercises to build lean muscle mass. It does so by increasing the blood flow and that helps in better muscle definition and symmetry.

2. Obliterates Physical and Mental Limitations

A majority of men do not practice yoga due to their ego or fear of not being able to practice a particular pose. Yoga for men is a tough cookie as it requires men to not just reach their maximum potential but also push beyond all physical and mental boundaries. It offers you a challenge like none other along with helping you develop a calm nature rather than a reactive one.

3. Yoga for Men Helps Develop Libido

Inculcating yoga for men practice into their daily lifestyle helps you develop more concentration. A focused mind is a secret to building more intimacy with your partner. In the long run, you are able to channel that energy towards your partner during an intimate encounter.

Moreover, men also find relief from premature ejaculation and that makes the sexual experience last longer and more pleasurable. In short, yoga is the best medication to help you improve your libido.

4. Improve Overall Health

Yoga offers you a natural way of dealing with common medical issues as cold or chronic back pain. Yoga for men gives a major boost to the immune system that helps men deal with stressful situations with ease.

You should know that specific yoga poses help improve digestion and get rid of bowel trouble. It helps improve the nutritional absorption of the body thus providing you with more energy. Your body’s defense system becomes healthier and more powerful in dealing with common medical problems as flu.

5. Helps Loose Weight

If you are practicing beginner yoga for men then you should know that specific breathing techniques in yoga can help you lose extra weight. Yoga is quite effective when it comes to losing those extra pounds without having to lift a dumbell and other weights in the gym.

Practicing deep abdominal breathing is an essential part of yoga and it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. It helps lower the stress-inducing hormone Cortisol that is also the leading cause behind men putting on unhealthy weight.

6. Increased Productivity

Practicing the sacred art of Yoga for just 20 minutes helps you stay more focused on the present moment and make better decisions regarding important matters. Practicing yoga for men helps improve memory retention along with more physical energy.

7. Best Stress Reliever

The art of yoga is meditative in nature and that makes it a great stress reliever. The morning yoga for men helps you understand how breathing works and provide more balance to the nervous system. You become calmer in everyday life.

Specific yoga poses are quite difficult such as those requiring you to put legs behind the head. It requires much calm and that is exactly what yoga is trying to tell you. The hidden message behind every asana is even in the most stressful situation remaining calm gets you the solution.

8. Alleviates Pain and Injuries

Working out with heavy weights at the gym often causes a lot of pain and even injuries. The practice of yoga helps you fight those injuries by enhancing flexibility and improved awareness. A major advantage of practicing yoga is it opens up the body and helps stretch the muscles. You develop the ability to practice yoga poses with ease and minimize the risk of injury.

At the same time, some yoga for men poses also help develop the capability of pushing your physical and mental limits without feeling any discomfort.

9. Deep Sleep Becomes a Norm

The hectic lifestyle and stress of daily life often cause you to lose sleep at night. Yoga is highly beneficial in not only helping people deal with physical problems but also get over mental issues. It helps them in dealing with mental health issues as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

One of the major benefits of yoga for men is it helps relieve you of the tension inside the body and mind and you feel lighter and sleep better.

10. Improved Flexibility

Practicing yoga on a daily basis can help men become physically active in the office and at home. It opens up the body and offers more strength that helps you remain flexible in the long run. Yoga not only helps you build muscles but also provides them with strength.

Many men find practicing yoga a bit intimidating as they think twisting and bending the body into poses takes a lot of effort and patience. You can still experience the benefits of yoga asanas that include widening of legs, chest, and shoulders.

With that in mind, you should know there are specific yoga poses to remain physically and mentally active.

Best Yoga for Men Poses You Can Practice

Given below is information on how the top 10 best yoga poses help you live a more healthy and peaceful life as a man.

1. Standing Forward Fold Pose

Also known as Uttanasana, the Standing Forward Fold pose helps you open the legs, hips, and back. It is the best yoga for men pose especially for those with less flexibility. If you are unable to touch the floor with the hands then keep both hands on the thighs, calves, or ankles.

In addition to helping you stretch the inflexible muscles the pose also lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, and finds relief from headaches. You can also ease the tension in the upper body.

2. The Chair Pose

If you are still in doubt as to whether yoga is only for those with a little bit of flexibility then think again. The Utkatasana or the Chair Pose brings the toughest of men to tears and works on the ankles, butt, shoulders, and quads.

Chair Pose is a popular yoga for men pose as it is highly beneficial when it comes to improving flat feet and at the same time stimulate the abdominal organs.

3. Upward Facing Dog

The Urdhva Mukha Svanasana or the Upward Facing Dog Pose helps expand the chest and provide strength to the back and arms. It is the best yoga for men pose for those in desk jobs or driving for long-distance and time every day. Upward Facing Dog opens up the abdomen and hip flexors.

If you are into performing strenuous exercises then the Upward Facing Dog lets you warm up and stretch the muscles. It helps keep the blood flowing and improves breathing.

4. The Butterfly Pose

The Butterfly Pose, also known as the Baddha Konasana increases blood flow to the prostate, bladder, kidneys, and pelvis. It is great yoga for men pose to direct the energy towards the root lock also known as Mula Bandha. You gain more awareness and energy around the hips.

5. Bridge Pose

Pushing yourself physically at the gym often ends up in you experiencing tight muscles and torso and that is never a nice feeling. Tightness in the area can lead to shallow breathing and even make specific physical activities more difficult.

The Bridge Pose is one of the best yoga for men poses to help you open up the upper body and relax the tight muscles. It creates more space in the chest and provides you with full breathing.

6. Warrior Pose

If you want to stretch both hips and shoulders then make sure to practice the Warrior Pose. The Warrior Pose, also known as Virabhadrasana helps build the thigh muscles along with those around the knees. You get more stability and keeps sensitive joints safe during high-impact sports.

Do you want to develop powerful shoulders? Try practicing this yoga for men asana with at least 10 to 15 breaths.

7. Downward Facing Dog Pose

The Downward Facing Dog yoga for men pose also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana works on a multitude of body parts including hamstrings, shoulders, back, arms, hips, and calves. It helps you stretch the body and also provides more power to the arms and legs.

Downward Facing Dog pose does wonder for the heart. It improves blood circulation, minimizes stress, and relieves you of high blood pressure.

8. The Boat Pose

Also known as Navasana, the Boat Pose helps make rock-hard abs a reality for you. It provides more strength to the hips flexors and spine. Boat Pose is highly beneficial for you to stimulate the prostate gland and raise the level of awareness along with minimizing tension in the pelvic area.

Boat Pose is the best yoga for men pose if you want a better functioning digestive system.

9. Half Pigeon

Are you a man with tight hips? Let the Half Pigeon pose guide you in easing the hips. It opens up the glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and adductors. It is a highly beneficial yoga for men pose for those doing the heavy lifting as it also works on the lower back.

10. Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose

Are you looking for yoga for men pose to expand the lower back and get the energy moving more freely? Try the Reclining Hand to Toe Pose that helps you stimulate the prostate gland and works on digestion.

However, before you start the practice of yoga for men there are specific tips to follow to make the best of each yoga session.

6 Tips for Practicing Yoga for Men Without Discomfort

You should remember that during yoga for men sessions it is completely natural to feel out of sync with the mind and body as a beginner. No need to worry if you are unable to pull off the splits or place feet behind your head as there is much more to yoga than just physical practices.

Let us now understand the six major tips you should remember when starting out the yoga practice.

1. Patience is the Key

Yoga feels a lot difficult when you are just starting out as a beginner. The yoga for men poses works on the muscles that you never even knew about such as subscapularis muscle and piriformis. The key here is to remain patient as it is a bit of a challenge for many men.

Remember that you are not here to compete with the other students but to help unlock the true potential of body and mind. Yoga practice does not take your ego into count during the practice and remaining calm is the key to perfecting this sacred art.

2. Focus on Self During Yoga for Men Practice

Men are competitive by nature and focus more on what others are doing. Yoga class requires you to focus only on one person and that is yourself. You should understand that no two bodies are alike when it comes to performing different yoga asanas.

One might be able to pull off the Bridge Pose with ease while another might struggle even with the first step. Every individual in yoga for men session has different strengths and weaknesses with varying levels of flexibility.

In other words, comparing yourself with others during a yoga session is a recipe for disaster when it comes to advancing your practice and mastering the art.

3. Know the Body’s Limits

It is a common notion in yoga circles that practicing yoga is all about flexibility but nothing could be farther from the truth. Although the more flexible you get, the more benefits you derive out of this practice in the long run.

The teacher would not scold you for not being able to touch the toes on the first day. Do what is physically possible for the body and soon enough you gain the right amount of flexibility to learn advanced poses. Pushing the body too much during the morning yoga for men session will only result in an injury.

4. Remain Comfortable

Make sure that you wear comfortable clothes during the yoga for men session. Do not wear anything too tight or body-hugging during the practice. You should wear clothes that let you breathe and absorb moisture and sweat.

For example, do not wear cotton to the class but choose polyester, bamboo, Tencel, and polypropylene.

5. Do Not Forget to Breath

Although trying to find balance when you are standing on one foot is not easy but it is important to breathe. You need to consider not just regular breathing but also breathing through the nose.

The right breathing technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system and keeps the mind calm under pressure. A yoga session requires that you breathe through the diaphragm, also known as Ujjayi breathing.

6. Learn to Identify Bad from Good Pain

During the practice of yoga for men, your body is sure to be in positions that it is normally not used to being in. You work on muscles never worked on before and this can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable.

We are talking about good pain and bad pain. The good pain is the body feeling uncomfortable and concentrating the body part where you need to feel the stretch. Bad pain on the other hand is the body screaming to stop. You should pay attention to differentiate between the two.

The Conclusion

The regular practice of yoga for men poses helps you remain calm and present at the moment. You become physically and mentally active and keep all internal systems of the body healthy and fit. Yoga helps you work towards improving several parts of the life without the need of taking medications. It is the penultimate exercise regimen to bring about revolutionary changes in lifestyle and diet.

FAQs

Ques1) Is yoga good for men?

Ans) Men from every age group can have the benefits of yoga by practicing specially curated yoga for men. From enhancing your flexibility to improving sexual performance, yoga can prove good for men

Ques2) Does yoga help sexually?

Ans) Yes! Practicing different yoga poses can increase the flow of blood to the reproductive parts of the body. Further, it leads to improves sexual life. Moreover, with regular yoga practice, you can last longer in bed.

Ques3) Does yoga help erectile dysfunction?

Ans) The practice of various poses of yoga for men works on your penis and the surrounding muscles. Hence, it cures any ailment such as erectile dysfunction. Further, various kegel exercises can help you have a better sex life.