In the East where yoga originated centuries ago, the practice of Yoga is dominated by men. It has been this way from the start. In the west, and particularly in the United States, yoga has gained in popularity mostly among women over the past few decades. I think guys have really missed the boat here.
Even physically active men, those who participate regularly in sports, or maintain serious fitness regimes can benefit from practicing yoga. Although the stereotypical male yogi is thought to be scrawny and weak, I can tell you that these guys are anything but. By contrast, I've seen more than my share of apparently fit gym rats collapse onto the mat in a pool of sweat, unable to complete their first class.
For those who are relatively sedentary and wish to improve their physical conditioning, yoga is a great place to start, especially for we older guys. It is low impact and you can truly progress at your own pace. When practiced with emphasis on correct form and breathing, yoga provides a significantly challenging workout.
As you progress, the almost endless series of poses become more difficult and body weight resistance combined with the effective stretching involved combine to improve the body's overall condition. Yoga can be practiced by beginners using modified poses, basically "cheats" where you don't move entirely into the pose or use props to assist.
The body and mind develop quite quickly to the point where modifications are no longer necessary. Steady improvement on the basic poses lead to more difficult advanced movements. What seems impossible at first is realized within a few short months.
Many guys find Yoga to be a godsend for addressing chronic lower back problems and I count myself among them. My previously frequent lower back outages are a distant memory since beginning my own yoga practice. If fact, it was the desperation of those back problems that lead me to investigate yoga in the first place.
Yoga postures gently strengthen back and abdominal muscles like few other exercise forms can do. These "core" muscles are essential components of the spinal muscular network, which helps maintain proper posture and overall body alignment. Greater strength and flexibility in this area are known to greatly reduce lower back pain. Yoga also assists by helping to decompress the spine.
Another beneficial aspect lies in yoga's ability to reduce stress and improve immune functions. Many experts believe it may lower the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, asthma and obesity. It is even said to fend off aging altogether.
At the risk of sounding esoteric and metaphysical, there is more to yoga than the physical movements. Proper breathing into the yoga posture, while maintaining form helps to open that area of the body. Exhaling while moving deeper into the pose expels stress and toxins.
While that may sound new-agey, it is actually very old-agey. The effect is very noticeable once you do it and the outcome is a new level of body awareness and mental function that is almost indescribable in words.
Regular yoga practice will provide improvements in flexibility and muscle joint mobility; increased muscle size, strength and tone, improved posture, increases stamina and balance. Yoga is also said to stimulate improvements in the endocrine system, digestion and circulation while encouraging weight loss.
So why not give yoga a try. That is, if you think you're man enough.
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