Doesn’t it seem like every sport in our modern-day society is plagued by a gender association? For instance, popular myth tells us that dancing is a girl thing because of the tights and tutus; if a guy finds dancing fulfilling, he is automatically labeled ‘not masculine’. Our co-workers are of the strong belief that wrestling is a manly endeavor, and girls who like it are un-feminine. Our parents may also believe that “because you are a guy” or “because you are a lady,” certain likes and dislikes are a given, or worse, inevitable.

Contrary to those myths that seem to dominate the forefront of our thoughts, many fun-filled, fulfilling sports are not only genderless in nature but invite both sexes to participate and enjoy themselves while doing so. Now, this age-old art reduces stress and lowers the risk of heart disease, depression and high blood pressure. This fact encourages both sexes to get down and dirty with yoga classes at their local gyms. Various yoga instructors throughout our nation’s fitness centers report that 30-50% of their yoga classes are comprised of male participants. This presents a deviation from the previously dominating stereotypes, which say that yoga is a female activity.

Men and Yoga

Guys, don’t fall into the common misconception that many years of weightlifting, sporadic workouts, and weekend basketball games have guaranteed you a stress and injury-free fitness life. The fact is that exercise without much thought to stretching beforehand can lead to many types of injuries, which can create pain and imbalance in the muscular and skeletal systems.  Yoga provides the body with the opposite effect, thereby counteracting the negative impact of overworking your body without the proper preparation.  Yoga’s many uses and benefits include prevention of injury and post injury rehabilitation; it increases the fluid in the joints, while stretching and strengthening the tendons, muscles, and ligaments.  In essence, instead of making men more feminine, as most tend to think, yoga can make them better athletes.

Stress-related ailments are costing our economy $300 billion dollars per year in doctors’ visits and insurance coverage. 90% of all ailments could have been cleared up if stress was better managed and alleviated more often. The daily practice of yoga, for both genders, would go a long way in cutting that six-figure cost to our economy in half.  The goal far outreaches the ability to stretch your leg over your head, although flexibility is an added benefit. The aim of practicing yoga is learning to focus the mind inwards, reducing distraction and stress, and concentrating on breathing.


What Can I Gain?

Benefits of yoga are homogenous to both men and women. The drawback is that men may not realize just how much yoga can affect their bodies physically, emotionally, hormonally, or even biochemically. The following table provides a summary of these health benefits:

How Do I Start?

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 environment filled with seemingly feminine energy.  The easiest way for you to start might be to try a yoga class at your local gym.  The environment there is typically geared more towards the workout participant; it may be a less intimidating, inviting way to start and get into the mood of yoga.  Once you’ve embraced the scintillating stretches and the beneficial modes of breathing, give a yoga studio a chance - the peaceful atmosphere of a studio does make a world of difference.  This ancient, relaxing art, which originated in India, will give you more satisfaction and pride than any other stress reducing activity. Not only are you relaxing your mind, but you are exercising your body, your emotions, and your intellect.