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Underrated Benefits of Yoga for Men

A lot of guys hear the word “yoga” and instantly think it’s for hippies — and of course, women in matching crop tops and tights. But the practice — which dates all the way back to 3,000 B.C. — is about so much more than that. It’s no wonder why in recent years, more and more men have been rolling out the mat. According to the 2016 Yoga in America study, 28 percent of all yoga practitioners in the United States are male, up from 17.8 percent in 2012. And these guys are enjoying the commonly toted wins of yoga, like increased flexibility and balance.

RELATED: Yoga Exercises That Actually Build Muscle

Not sold on the idea of getting bendy like a human pretzel? Read on for the lesser-known benefits of yoga, which may just convince you to channel your inner warrior.

1. Physical Benefits of Yoga

If you think you need to load up a barbell to see major strength gains, think again. Research shows that adding in yoga — specifically the sun salutation, which is a popular series of yoga poses performed in a continuous flow — can increase your one-rep max for both push and shoulder exercises. 

“Over 90 percent of yoga poses are weight-bearing, specifically static contracted poses that directly build strength,” says Anthony Chavez, director of personal transformation and mindful leadership at CorePower Yoga. “Adding yoga into your workout regimen adds a new layer of strength as it can fully round out your program, helping you to increase your ability to hold weight longer with more control, which then builds muscular endurance.”

2. Athletic Benefits of Yoga

Being a good athlete is more than just God-given talent and hard work inside the gym. Research shows that yoga can fine-tune your dexterity, which in turn can help you move faster. “Left brain focus in your yoga practice gives you the ability to contract and hold multiple muscle groups at once,” says Chavez. “As a result, the body becomes more agile and dynamic because your overall body awareness is increased.” In other words? You’ll be less prone to injury..

3. Sex Life Benefits of Yoga

Seriously. Indian researchers found that after 12 weeks of yoga camp, men enjoyed their in-the-sheets time more with their partners, improving various aspects of the deed from performance and overall satisfaction to partner synchronization and even erections. 

RELATED: Everything You Need to Start Yoga

4. Mental Benefits of Yoga

Yoga helps us to be more present and create more focus, according to research. That focus can result in a few things, from a more productive weekend to visualizing bigger opportunities at the office. “With yoga, you have greater access to what’s available at any given moment,” says Chavez. “In other words, you won’t have to turn down the radio when you get lost on your next drive because you’ll have expanded your ‘field of view’ as it pertains to your mental capacity.

5. Health Benefits of Yoga

Experiencing one of those summer flu situations that are pretty much the worst thing ever? Yoga can help with that. Research shows that yoga can boost immunity at a cellular level, boosting the body’s defense system. Warrior one, anyone?

6. Stress Benefits of Yoga

Research shows that stress is linked to so many diseases. The deep, controlled breathing, left-brain focus, hormonal release and meditative aspects of yoga have all been proven to decrease stress, says Chavez. “Most of us live in a high-stress environment and biologically the signs of stress are present in high hormone markers like cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone,” he says. “When we practice yoga, endorphins are released to combat cortisol, while deep breathing lowers blood pressure, which fills your body with oxygen-rich blood.” 

Beginner Yoga Poses

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As you can see, the benefits of yoga for men and women alike are numerous, and it doesn’t take much to get started. Whether you choose to buy a yoga mat, queue up a YouTube video and practice a few simple poses at home, or you head to a local studio to try out a regular yoga or hot yoga class, you can easily incorporate yoga into your weekly or daily routine.

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Emily Abbate, Khareem Sudlow