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Believe it or not, yoga started out as a practice for men. 5. Prevent workout injuries 5
Yoga was created in India by male practitioners and
taught to boys only. Hundreds of years ago yoga was Most yoga classes begin with a reminder to honour your
ONLY practiced by men, and women weren’t even body’s particular needs and limits on that particular day.
allowed to take place in a class. Only in the past few This basic ability to scan and assess yourself as you
decades has this changed. It is interesting that even practice will help reduce the incidence of injury when
though yoga has such a physical focus in our part of the running or playing other sports. Plus, flexible, well- 1. Mountain (Tadasana)
world, men are still not much drawn to it despite the stretched yoga muscles will heal and recover more
many benefits. Here are some reasons why men should quickly after working out or getting strained. Yoga Why you should do it: Simple but effective, mountain pose builds a solid
do yoga: improves flexibility and range of motion. It also helps to foundation for all other standing poses. It strengthens and returns flexibility to your
improve joint durability by strengthening connective feet, improves your posture, and works your thighs and core.
1. Relieve stress muscle tissue. If you’re not a sports guy, but spend your
time behind a desk, you might have some shoulder, neck How to do it: Stand with your big toes touching and heels slightly apart. Balance the
We experience a lot of pressure and stress in our or back pain. That’s another reason why men should weight evenly on your feet and lift up the arches. Engage the thigh muscles slightly
society, more than we used to endure. Men have a practice yoga. Yoga is the perfect antidote for bad to lift up the kneecaps, but avoid locking your knees.
tendency to cross their limits, to not listen to their bodies, posture and injuries caused by sitting all day long behind
to “man up” and avoid whining about stress. We all find a desk.
ways to deal with stress. Going to gym or punching a
punching bag can make you more aggressive or more 6. Calm your mind
tired. Yoga, on the other hand, employs a number of
relaxation techniques, which, with regular practice, can In the midst of a jam-packed schedule, committing to the
make you calmer overall.
relaxed space of a yoga class might be the only way for
some guys to slow down and breathe right. The ancient
2. Yoga is Really Challenging Indian practice also was found to help with improving
sleep patterns. Furthermore, 20 minutes of Hatha yoga
A lot of men love a good challenge. Most men are is said to stimulate brain function more than walking or
competitive and therefore turn to sports in which they jogging on the treadmill for the same amount of time.
can win or succeed. At first, yoga doesn’t seem like a 2. Tree (Vrksasana)
competitive sport. And yes, this is true, but yoga practice
allows you to seek competition on a whole other level: a Why you should do it: Like other standing balance poses, tree pose will
competition with yourself, a competition in patience. improve your focus while strengthening the muscles in your ankles, calves and
Whether you are learning a hobby, running a 10km race, thighs. It also stretches the inner thigh and groin muscles on the bent leg.
or climbing a mountain, there’s nothing like the feeling of
rising to a new challenge. Learning a unique style in How to do it: Shift your weight onto your right foot, pressing it firmly onto the
yoga or trying to master a new pose is no different. floor. Bend the left leg at the knee and place the sole of the left foot on your
inner right thigh. Point the toes toward the floor. If this is difficult, you can also
3. Get flexible place the sole of the foot on the inner calf or ankle (but avoid the knee). Bring
your palms together in front of your chest and keep your weight centered over
Most series of yoga asanas (physical postures) include the left foot. Press the right knee back to open the groin while keeping your
one or more spinal twists to loosen the many joints that hips parallel to the front of the room. Release the foot and repeat on the other
make up your spine. This can improve your tennis game side.
and golf swing, as well as promote detoxification and
good digestion. 3. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

4. Build healthy muscle Why you should do it: Standing forward bend can calm your
mind, while also stretching the hamstrings and muscles of the
spine.
Most yoga poses are held for a longer time than
traditional exercises. This causes your muscles to tense
without moving them for a longer time than usual, which How to do it: Start in mountain pose with your hands on your
increases your muscular endurance. This all means hips, then exhale, tucking your chin slightly toward your chest
you’ll get stronger. Plus, yoga helps to improve blood and bending forward at the hips. (As you fold forward, lengthen
flow, so the muscles get more oxygen. This helps them the front of your torso to avoid curling the spine.) Relax your
to recover faster so they can grow. head, neck and shoulders and let your arms hang loosely. Place
your palms or fingertips on the floor beside or slightly in front of
your feet. (If you can’t touch the floor, cross your forearms and
grab your elbows.) To come out of the pose, bring your hands to
your hips and lift up on an inhale. Keep your chin tucked and
lengthen the front of your torso as you come back up.

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