Why Men Should Give Yoga a Try

While many men skip yoga in favor of higher impact sports and exercise routines, there are multiple reasons why men should give yoga a try. Since 2008, the number of men participating in yoga has increased by 10 percent, according to Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance. If you’ve been considering giving yoga a try, here are a few more reasons why should finally make your move and head to a local yoga studio.

Improve Overall Fitness

Yoga may not be as high energy as your usual exercise routine but it can help improve your body’s performance in other sports. By increasing flexibility and making you more aware of the way your body moves, yoga leads to a better understanding of how your body can work best for you. Plus, it also improves respiration and circulation, which leads to more energy and stronger movements.

Get Better Muscle Tone

Weight lifting is obviously a tried and true way to gain muscles but you can improve your muscle definition by incorporating yoga into your weekly work outs. Yoga contracts and lengthens your muscles simply by utilizing your own body weight, which creates lean muscles.. Furthermore, yoga also increases blood flow to your muscles and decreases the amount of time needed for recovery between work outs.

Yoga Offers Your Body A Break

Another reason why men should give yoga a try, is that intense work out sessions, like weight lifting, running and contact sports, start to wear on your body over time. Yoga gives you the chance to slow down long enough to let your body recuperate between work outs, which lowers the odds of injury and fatigue to muscles and joints. By holding a yoga pose, you give your body time to repair connective tissue. Consider mixing a couple days of yoga into your weekly exercise routine to provide a well-rounded balance of activities.

Increase Productivity At Work

By pairing yoga with meditation, you can improve your mental agility, which in turn leads to better focus and a higher level of performance at work. A study by Physical Activity & Health found that yoga is more effective than aerobic exercise at improving mental functions, like retaining information and staying focused.

Reduce Stress In All Areas of Life

Yoga promotes a sense of calmness that translates from the yoga studio to the work place. In addition to helping calm any workplace jitters, yoga also lowers the stress level in other areas. As a natural stress reliever that works by suppressing the stress hormone cortisol, yoga lets practitioners leave their stress on the mat.

Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s rest can make a huge difference in your day. Considering that many people don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, any suggestion to improve sleep quality is generally welcome. Studies have found that people who practice yoga fall asleep quicker and wake up less often during the night. It’s believed that stretching helps you sleep better and learning to breathe more efficiently can lower the odds of snoring and sleep apnea.

Improve Your Posture

Sitting hunched over a computer all day can wreck havoc on your posture but yoga can help reverse the damage. Yoga increases the flexibility in your shoulders and lower back, which are often negatively affected by bending over a desk.

Boosts Immunity to Illness

Consistent yoga practice increases your immune system’s ability to defend against sickness. It lowers stress hormones and flushes toxins from your body to help keep you healthy. Certain yoga positions help with specific areas so be sure to do some research to find out what may benefit you the most.