Yoga for men is an often overlooked fitness activity. People may think of aerobics classes, martial arts practice, or basic gym workouts before they consider yoga. But this activity, while not the workout that is the most intense, pushes your body to increase in flexibility and strength. It also promotes calmness of mind and relaxation. Yoga can even improve your sex life. Men can rake in the benefits by participating in a yoga class or trying it at home to gain the following positive side effects.
Improved Job Performance
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent study, practices based on mindfulness, such as yoga, can improve the wellbeing of employees, easing such problems with productivity as burnout. Yoga for men increases their mental resilience, states the study. This helps them deal with stress. This is particularly true when people are in positions of power and may find themselves more prone to burnout. A Netherlands study in 2013, moreover, found that a six-month period that includes general workouts and yoga workouts led to improved feelings of vitality in the workplace. This means the workers had stronger levels of resilience and perseverance with less fatigue.
Improved Stress Levels
When repeated on a regular basis throughout the week, a yoga workout for men can reduce stress on a cellular level. Those who perform yoga, according to a study in Immunology, found that yoga practitioners suppress the activation of genes causing inflammation. This is a standard response to stress capable of causing serious implications to your health. In addition, yoga can increase your physical capacity for reacting to stress. It reduces blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
Improved Posture and Mobility
People tend to live more sedentary lives as they sit in front of screens for both work and relaxation. Sitting too much makes the joints and muscles achy and stiff. If you have a regular lifting routine, that, too, can lead to stiffness. Mobility moves are important to coordinate with muscle gains. Yoga for men adds flexibility and happier muscles and joints. You can move in a more ideal fashion without so many aches and pains when you regularly move through the stretches and positions of yoga.
Improved Sleep
Studies continue to show just how important sleep is to your overall health. Sleep deprivation increases the chances of getting sick, can be physically painful, and adds to mental fog and stress. Yet, many people struggle with falling asleep at night and remaining asleep once slumber has been reached. A 2013 study discovered that older yoga practitioners reported fewer disturbances to their sleep, fell asleep more quickly, and scored higher when rated on sleep quality than those who declined yoga routines. One reason for this is that yoga has a focus on breathing. This improved your respiratory muscles’ strength, helping guard against sleep apnea and storing.
Improved Digestion
Yoga for men can also have a positive impact on digestion. The more you practice, the more you will find different aspects of your body and mind are improved, inside and out. Many postures, particularly the twists, work to massage your internal organs. This moves food along through your system in a timely and gentle manner. You may be surprised by the variety of ways yoga has an impact on your systems.
Improved Sex Performance
You will be surprised to know that yoga can also improve your sex life. In a study in India, men found huge improvements in sexual performance and the timing of their ejaculations when they practiced yoga for three months. 82% of those on medication for the same time frame found improvement. A 2011 study from the Journal of Sexual Medicine explored men practicing yoga and various aspects of sexual function; it found that men who performed yoga exercises for 12 weeks had improved desire, satisfaction, performance, and orgasm.
Conclusion
While many men can overlook yoga workouts as being worthwhile for strength gain and athleticism, they are missing out on flexibility and whole-body improvement. Yoga assists in gentle strength gain, stamina, and the ability to easily move and bend. Yoga for men possesses a slew of benefits for mind and body, aiding in stress relief, relaxation, and the body’s ability to deal with stressful situations.
