Why Men Should Practice Yoga

It is a good question; why should men practice power yoga?  For the answer, well, how long have you got?  There is every reason why men should practice power yoga.  Here are some of the reasons:

1.     It is important for men to maintain bone density and muscle strength.  The natural load bearing of poses throughout the power yoga practice gives students the ability to place manageable loads upon their bones and build strength using their own body weight as resistance. Crow is a good example.  In this elementary hand balance, the student carries the weight of their body on their hands.  I have seen many men new to practice struggle with crow because they are disproportionately heavy compared to their strength, because their wrists get sore, because they lack balance and proprioception, or for other reasons.

By practicing power yoga men will bring their bodies into a more balanced state of strength relative to their body size and, along the way, will develop bone strength.

2.     Immobility or limited ranges of mobility from certain forms of exercise can create problems for men.  The first problem from immobility is a toxic combination of weakness and tightness.  The sitting position of many sedentary workers means hip joint and hip flexor tightness is common.  Similarly, back and shoulder stiffness afflicts many office workers.   The muscles that have tightened have lost their elasticity and ability to effectively extend and flex.  This creates a “locked short” state in the muscles rendering them less effective and reduced in functionality.  Power yoga will get men who have desk jobs moving in ways that re-awaken locked short muscles and restore strength and mobility to them.

3.     Immobility and a sedentary lifestyle also causes a lack of energetic vigour.  Power yoga stimulates energy.  It can be a physically tiring practice – it is a good, whole-body workout – but it is invigorating to your energy.  Men who feel spent after a day at work may think the best thing to do is go home, put their feet up and rest.  In fact, they would be better to step into the yoga studio on their way home and revive and bring life to their bodies with power yoga.  Deep breathing and rhythmic movement in power yoga makes for greater vitality and zest in its practitioners.

4.     Some forms of exercise work a relatively narrow range of motion.  Running and cycling are examples.  These forms of exercise have a tightening effect upon hips and hamstrings and negative effects for the spine.  Poor lumbar alignment is very common in cyclists.  Lumbar compression and soreness are common in runners.  I ran as my primary form of exercise for eight years before starting yoga practice.  I considered myself to be fit and well.  But, the more I ran the more I developed tightness injuries and injuries from joint overload.  I have now been practicing yoga for almost 16 years and yoga has helped me be free of injuries and has opened up my ranges of movement, my flexibility/mobility, and has allowed me to enjoy a state of ease in my body without aches or pains that is very liberating.  Power yoga mobilises your body and frees you of injury.

5.     Many men begin to develop a paunch and the accumulation of abdominal fat after the age of 30.  Power yoga is a comprehensive workout for your whole body that helps stimulate your metabolism to burn calories.  Power yoga involves strong core stability actions that tone and strengthen your inner thighs, pelvic floor, abdomen and low back.  Power yoga has many twisting poses that are good to tone and shape your abdomen and waist.  There are aesthetic benefits here.  A bulging belly overhanging your belt is not a good look in a man.  It also betrays an inner malaise.  There are therapeutic benefits too.  There is too much energy being put in and too little expended.  The accumulation of abdominal fat is bad for your organs.  Excess weight puts a strain upon your heart and respiratory system.  Power yoga is a workout that helps to create an overall health and wellness in your system.

6.     Power yoga is taught against a backdrop of philosophical principle and concludes with a relaxed wind-down to the practice.  Coupled with a focus upon coordinating movement to breath, power yoga provides an excellent means to let go the mental stress that people carry.  Would you rather take home with you the stress of the day and have that affect your home life or would you prefer to have commit a modest amount of time to letting go the burdens of your mind so as to be lighter, more present, less reactive and better able to give yourself meaningfully to your loved ones? 

7.     Power yoga is non-competitive.  You do not need to be good at the poses.  The poses will be good for you and there is a place for you in a power yoga class regardless of your age, weight, level of fitness or perception of mobility.  Do not suppose you need to show up being “good at yoga”.  Come as you are, and yoga will be good for you!

Make the call now to engage in a practice that will give you functional strength and mobility, vital energy and a clear mind and spirit.  Make the call to practice power yoga with with Hamish today!