Yoga Benefits for Men
Anyone who says yoga is just for girls is stuck far too comfortably in the dark ages of millennial masculinity, which is anything pre-2012 where society was a wasteland of men (more like boys) trying to outdo one another in the worst ways possible. Despite yoga’s early (and sometimes continuing) reputation, it’s not just for girls, not at all, and there are actually many yoga benefits for men, some of which you may not realize.
With this in mind, take a deep breath, clear your head, and check out some surprising things that yoga can do for you.
1. Stress Relief
Who isn’t stressed to the tips of their toes every single day? There are bills to pay, deadlines to meet, trips and events to plan and organize, and yes even more bills to pay. With all this going on, it’s a wonder anyone makes it out of life alive. Yoga is great for clearing the mind, putting you on a plane that actively suppresses chemicals that can lead to inflammation, which is a common symptom of stress.
Along with this, yoga can also help to lower your resting heart rate, blood pressure, and making it easier to breathe. With this stress relief, you’ll also get better sleep, which will go a long way to keeping you the relaxed, chill dude you always knew you could be.
2. Increases Productivity
Along with lowered stress, you’ll also find that yoga boosts your productivity. Everyone struggles with productivity in all aspects of their life – including exercise, somewhat ironically. It helps to increase energy levels, with promotes positive thinking, which means instead of you staring at spreadsheets, empty pages, and timetables with disdain, you can attempt and overcome them with vigor.
With just 20 minutes of yoga a day, you can increase mindfulness, which is further beneficial in tackling the avalanche of dull, laborious work, chores, or assignments. Yoga can stop you feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to do and replaces it with the ability to compartmentalize tasks to make everything more manageable. Taking everything one step at a time is typically much more successful than trying to complete everything all at once.
3. Builds Muscles
Any guy who has ever pulled on their yoga pants will swear on his chakra that yoga is just as effective for building muscles as it for increasing productivity and relieving stress. Unlike hitting the gym and straining to lift dumbbells or figure out those sometimes-confusing machines, yoga relies on body weight and resistance to help you tone and sculpt those muscles into the fine-chiseled, Greek God physique we always knew you were capable of.
As a bonus, it helps to regulate blood flow, which further promotes the benefits of yoga by regulating and increasing blood flow that helps build muscles quicker than simple lifting.
4. Overcome Pain and Injuries
Spending crucial time on the yoga mat can also contribute to overcoming pain and injury, ensuring your sporting career and exercise routines can last much longer than those who have dismissed yoga as something for the fairer sex.
The flexibility and better body awareness reduce strain on the muscles during intense activity. While your muscles might feel too tight at first, you’ll eventually be able to master yoga poses and do them with ease and without pulling muscles and causing damage to joints and ligaments.
It can help you recover faster from injury, which is clear when you look at sports stars such as Ryan Giggs and LeBron James, who credit much of their longevity at the highest level to doing yoga to prolong their careers, despite the demands of their sport.
5. Improves Sex Life
Yeah bro, seriously. Yoga helps to improve your sex life by promoting excellent focus and concentration. This focus is integral to becoming more mindful of not only your own needs but your partner’s needs, too. It assists in channeling that vital sexual energy that ensures the whole experience is more pleasurable for everybody involved by making you feel closer to one another physically and mentally.
Any of you guys who get a little too excited once you get down to it will also be thankful to hear yoga can prolong sex, too. For the best results, you can indulge in couple’s yoga, which will further encourage stimulation and passion when and where it matters.
Get Down, Dawg
Yoga’s low intensity can prove much more beneficial than smashing it at the gym every day and is a further example of the wonders of exercise for both body and mind. It can improve your life in ways that other workouts can only dream of.
We’re not saying you need to cut the gym completely out of your life, but adding yoga to your weekly routine can ensure that you can perform at the peak of your abilities in all aspects of life physically, mentally, socially, and professionally. Now, take a deep breath, relax, and start your journey to better health.
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