Men and women are equally born limber and can comfortably put their feet behind their heads. As they grow older, however, men generally lose their flexibility faster than women. In fact, by the time they become men from boys, the flexibility gap has widened quite a lot. Flexibility is important even for men whose tight bodies are more prone to maladies like chronic back pain and injuries caused by physical activities like sports. This makes yoga for men an extremely beneficial exercise routine.
Yoga for Men: Get Into a Better Physical Condition
A recent Harris poll suggests that men now make up 23 percent of 15 million yoga enthusiasts in America. These guys have discovered that taking one yoga class per week or doing a couple of pre-workout poses can increase endurance, build strength, prevent injuries, and may even stave off heart disease. Men are more into sports and other physical activities that build muscle mass and add to the body’s tightness. Practicing yoga helps offset physical irregularities resulting from these tasks. Yoga loosen the tightness in the muscles, resulting in flexibility which helps men perform better and indulge longer in physical activities. Yoga is a full-body workout that creates not only flexibility but also strength which lessens the possibility of injuries caused by sports and similar physical endeavors.
A Leaner and More Toned Body
Guys who want to lose their beer bellies can also turn to yoga for men to help them acquire a leaner and more toned body. Slow and intense yoga will gradually build firmness and strength in the muscles that are engaged in its various poses. Vigorous yoga like Astanga yoga, Bikram yoga and Power yoga will get the heart rate up, get the sweat flowing and definitely help the weight drop. The breathing technique which is an essential element of doing yoga also plays an important part in reducing weight. Yoga teaches you to breath into the belly and not the chest. This exercises your diaphragm muscle and more oxygen is taken into your lungs with each breath. A high supply of oxygen in the body ensures more efficient combustion of foods. Not only does this help you lose weight, it also stops the body being poisoned by undigested wastes.
Baron Baptiste, creator of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and former assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles describes yoga as a full-body workout that creates both strength and flexibility. Men need to have both, he says, adding that one without the other is a recipe for disaster. Many have proven this to be true, and that yoga for men can bring many other benefits which can only help create a better you.
