Yoga is purely a woman’s thing? No way! Did you know that in ancient India - where yoga originated - women were even forbidden to practice yoga? Yoga was originally reserved for men, but in today's Western world about six times more women than men do yoga. Today we are dispelling the prejudice that yoga is not for men and showing you the benefits of yoga for men. Many well-known professional athletes and athletes now supplement their training schedule with yoga exercises - so there must be something to it.
Yoga for men has these benefits for the body and mind:
- Yoga increases your strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Yoga improves your mental and physical fitness.
- Yoga doesn't just consist of meditation and breathing exercises, but can make you sweat a lot.
- Do you do other sports such as strength training, running or ball sports? Then yoga is an ideal supplement to get even more out of your training.
- With yoga you can improve your posture and prevent problems with the spine and back.
- Yoga has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
- With yoga you can achieve a better body feeling and more ability to concentrate.
Men's yoga: benefits of different yoga styles
The range of different yoga styles is huge – and there is something for everyone. Would you rather relax and find a balance to your stressful everyday life or do a sweaty workout?
These yoga styles are particularly suitable for men:
Yoga as a power workout
If you want to work up a sweat during your yoga practice, then you will definitely like these yoga styles:
- Power Yoga: Power Yoga is a variation of Ashtanga Yoga. The difference: The exercises are individually tailored to the practitioner, so that you can optimally adapt your workout to your fitness level.
- Bikram Yoga: This form of Hatha Yoga is practiced in a 35 - 40 degree room. So sweating is inevitable.
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Jivamukti Yoga: In Jivamukti Yoga, sophisticated Vinyasa flows - i.e. dynamic sequences of exercises - are practiced, while at the same time this holistic yoga style conveys the spiritual background of yoga.
Yoga for relaxation, balance and stretching
If you would like to take a more relaxed approach and practice yoga as a balance to everyday life or in addition to other sports, then try out the following practices:
- Hatha Yoga : In this most well-known style of yoga, most of the exercises are held for a few breaths and is very suitable for beginners.
- Kundalini Yoga : Breathing exercises and meditation are central aspects of Kundalini Yoga with the aim of achieving higher consciousness and full energy.
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Yin Yoga : Would you like to stretch intensively and become more flexible? Then try Yin Yoga: Here the positions are held for several minutes.
Which yoga style can you use to build muscles?
Basically, all body-focused yoga styles target your muscles. The big advantage of yoga is that your body is trained as a whole - compared to isolated strength training.
The positive effects on muscle building are based on training entire muscle chains and isometric training. The body is placed in positions that are unfamiliar to it. You probably know this from the forearm support, which not only trains your abdominal muscles, but also creates more strength and balance in the whole body.
In addition to the yoga styles mentioned above , Ashtanga yoga is a good example of how to build muscles with yoga: In this type of yoga, a precisely defined sequence of asanas - the physical exercises - is carried out in combination with breathing.
Yoga exercises for men
As a male yoga beginner, a yoga course definitely makes sense. Whether in the yoga studio or online, alone or in a group, is up to you. Executing the exercises correctly is particularly important in order to get the full effect of the exercises and to prevent injuries.
Two simple yoga exercises for men:
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana): ensures a healthy, upright posture, promotes concentration and reduces stress
- Warrior poses (Virabhadrasana): stability and strength for the whole body
Yoga exercises for immobility
It is often wrongly assumed that yoga is only suitable for particularly flexible people. But in yoga there is no right or wrong, no competition as to who can go furthest down or forward. Yoga adapts to your training level and flexibility and always has a positive effect. With regular practice, you will soon notice how you become softer and more supple in the stretches. It is therefore also ideal for immobile men.
These yoga exercises make you more flexible as a man:
- Standing or sitting forward bend (Uttanasana or Paschimottanasana): stretches and relieves the entire back of the body and makes the hips more flexible
- Deep lunge (Anjaneyasana): opens the core and stretches the hip flexors and the front of the body
Reading tip: We will introduce you to even more asanas and their effects in a separate article.
Yoga for men: Which accessories are useful?
When doing yoga, it is best for men to wear sweat-wicking, comfortable clothing that is not restrictive and ensures freedom of movement, especially in the crotch. Since yoga is practiced barefoot, you don't need socks or shoes.
The yoga pants for men from OGNX are super comfortable and sustainably produced. Depending on your taste, they are available in short or long and in different colors.
The same applies to our yoga tops for men .
Investing in a good yoga mat is worth it because it provides more comfort and a more secure footing. As a beginner and depending on your yoga style, you may also want to use a yoga block, yoga cushion or a strap for particularly intensive stretches.
So you see: Yoga for men has many health benefits and is also a great complement to other sports.
If you would like to find out more information about yoga, be sure to read our large overview article on the subject of yoga .