Men and Yoga

Why is it that men and yoga don’t seem to go together?  Yoga has been around since at least 3000BC, it predates even written text and yet men in the Western World still resist trying it. The truth is, the world’s most known gurus and yogis (yogini for women) are mainly men.   Perhaps one reason men are slow to come around is because men tend to be competitive and want to excel at their physical endeavors and yoga presents a challenge.  Still, overcoming the difficulties of flexibility and balance would benefit men.

Years of weightlifting, sporadic workouts, weekend basketball games and playing football with the kids without much thought to stretching afterwards can lead to many types of injuries including back soreness, hyper-extended knees, shortened tendons, hamstring pulls and so many more, which can create pain and imbalance in the muscular and skeletal system.  Yoga has the opposite effect on the body.  It can be used as a prevention of injury or post injury rehabilitation, but consult a physician if you are already hurt.  Yoga increases the fluid in the joints, stretches the tendons, muscles and ligaments and strengthens the same.  In essence, yoga can make men better athletes.

Yoga is also increasing in popularity among men because of its additional benefits: Yoga reduces stress and lowers the risk of heart disease, depression and high blood pressure.  Sound familiar?  Stress costs the United States economy $300 billion dollars a year with up to 90% of all doctor visits having their causes traced back to stress.  Stress has become an epidemic and yoga can help.  It is not about being able to stretch your leg over your head, although the stretching is a benefit to your physical body, it is about learning to focus the mind inwards, to reduce distraction, to concentrate on breathing and remain still. 

Benefits of yoga are homogenous to both men and women but men may not realize just how much yoga can change their physical, emotional and even hormonal or biochemical bodies.

Physical benefits

• Lowered heart rate
• Slower respiratory rate
• Lowered blood pressure
• Increases brain wave functioning
• Increases cardiovascular functioning
• Improves gastrointestinal function
• Regulates hormonal imbalances
• Improves posture
• Increases energy level
• Increases strength and stamina

Emotional benefits

• Balance of the mind and body improves
• Ability to focus and pay attention improves
• Increases hand eye coordination
• Increases dexterity and fine motor skills
• Hostility decreases
• Lowers anxiety and depression
• Increases social adjustment
• Self-esteem is improved
• Improves mood

Hormonal/ Chemical benefits

• Decreases glucose and sodium in the body
• Decreases total cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Vitamin C increases
• Regulates the endocrine system

Now you know why you should do yoga, but as a man you may still have some anxiety about walking into a flower decorated, incense filled, feminine energy (or so you think) environment.  The easiest way for you to start might be trying a yoga class at your local gym.  The environment there is typically geared more towards the workout participant and is less intimidating for your first experience.  Once you are ready though, give a yoga studio a chance, the peaceful atmosphere of a studio does make a world of difference.  If for no other reason,  yoga is a good activity if you just want to be surrounded by women.

By Christina Leon, Staff Writer