Yoga for Men – It’s the best workout!
Dudes, we need to talk.
You may have gotten some bad information about online yoga and who it’s intended for.
Maybe you’ve seen lots of photos of ladies getting out their yoga mats and flowing through an energy-packed yoga flow, but haven’t seen many pics of men doing the same.
Maybe you tend to think of yoga as a workout for busy moms. But it’s time to forget everything you thought you know about online yoga! It’s not just for women.
Have you ever considered trying online yoga for men? According to Men’sHealth, the toughest step to make is the first one … and it’s usually the most rewarding!
Online yoga for men is the real deal – the realest deal
So if you haven’t tried online yoga for men beginner classes yet, it’s time to ask yourself why.
The good news is that you’re not the only dude thinking of exploring men’s yoga for beginners.
According to The Good Body,
“The number of American men practicing yoga more than doubled between 2012 and 2016. And while 72% of yoga practitioners in 2016 were women, the percentage of men getting involved is on the rise.”
Now that online yoga classes are available to make the practice accessible for you no matter where you are, we have a feeling that there will be even more dudes trying out online yoga for men beginner classes. Want more info? Then keep reading and check out our video with Kelly and Brittany breaking down why yoga for men is something need – and just may like 😳!!!
Online yoga for men is the real deal — like, the realest deal.
If you’re new to a men’s online yoga routine, you might be feeling a little self-conscious about those first few classes. It can feel awkward to teach your body to do something different, especially if you’re used to knowing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.
Just be honest — you’re cautious about becoming a yoga guy because you’re worried about looking or feeling silly! We get it. It’s totally natural.
But here’s the thing about taking online classes: that pressure is totally removed. You’ll be in the comfort of your own home without a roomful of people to make you second guess yourself. We pride ourselves on keeping our community and our brand of power yoga extremely approachable, anyway — everyone’s welcome in our pack! — but it doesn’t hurt to be on your own turf.
It’s time for men to try online yoga
If you’ve ever wondered if you would enjoy yoga, now is definitely the moment to give it a try. Doing yoga online and at home is an absolute game changer. Need further encouragement to hit the mat?
Keep scrolling to learn more about how yoga workouts for men can add value to any man’s life (and why celebs like Mark Wahlberg, Dak Prescott, and Jimmy Fallon have already caught the yoga bug)…
Here are some of the yoga benefits for men
#1: Yoga is proven to reduce stress
We all have plenty of stress in our lives, and one of the benefits of yoga for men (and everyone, really) is that it can help take the edge off! The Mayo Clinic points to a number of studies that confirm just how great a regular yoga practice can be for your mental health.
One study showed that people who do yoga suppressed the activation of certain genes that cause inflammation, which is a stress response. Many of the physical benefits of a power yoga practice — reduced heart rate and reduced blood pressure, to name a few — are also linked to lower stress. Couldn’t we all use a little less stress?
If the pressures of work and relationships and generally just trying to be your best are starting to get to you, don’t stress. Grab a yoga mat instead!
#2: It spices up your sex life
We don’t need to know all the details of your ~love life~, but we do want to let you know that bulldog yoga is here for you if you want to heat things up in the bedroom. Maybe things with your partner are getting stale or you’re feeling in the mood less and less. It’s not great, but it can get better… with a little online yoga.
Researchers in India did a study of men who struggled to perform sexually, some of whom were prescribed medication and others who did yoga. All of the yogis experienced an improvement in the bedroom. Only 82% of men in the medication group could say the same.
Yoga boosts stamina, improves endurance, and increases strength and flexibility — all of which are bound to give your sex life a little extra somethin’ somethin’. Light the candles and prepare for some serious romance, guys!
#3: You’ll feel better during other workouts and be less prone to injury
The high-energy kind of power yoga that we practice in our studio and online classes offers a wide range of health benefits for men. With just a few sessions, you’ll feel stronger, more flexible, and less winded when your heart gets pumping!
Put those benefits together and you can expect to rock all your workouts more than ever. Whether you prefer running, weightlifting, hiking, team sports, swimming — you name it! — we’re confident that yoga will do wonders for your exercise routine across the board.
A 2016 study of college athletes that appeared in the International Journal of Yoga confirmed the overall improvement in athletic performance that participants experienced when they added yoga to their routine. Yoga also helps prevent sports injuries by increasing strength and flexibility.
#4: You might be more productive at work
Maybe you don’t feel like you need to incorporate so-called “mindfulness practices” into your life, but we’re willing to bet that you’d be happy to find a way to be more productive on the job. Did you know that mindfulness and productivity are actually connected?
News flash: they are.
Per a 2017 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who engage with mindfulness practices and exercises (including yoga!) may experience less burnout and be more resilient at work. Is there anyone who wouldn’t like to reap those benefits?
#5: Say goodbye to chronic pain!
Sick of those aches and pains that never seem to go away? In addition to the unhappiness chronic pain causes, we become less productive and less inclined to “get out there” when we are dealing with pain. The Cleveland Clinic has found that 30 to 50 percent of people struggling with chronic pain also have a mood disorder.
Chronic pain may be a little inevitable as we age, but there are ways to make it easier to deal with — and yoga is one of them.
According to Psychology Today, practicing yoga and chronic pain have opposite effects on the brain. Yoga can reduce the perception of pain and offset the progression of pain in the body that comes with aging. Stress can increase pain-related changes in the brain, so the stress-inducing benefits of yoga play a big role here.
#6: Yoga improves your range of motion
Those poses we lead you through in our online classes are more than just fun (and challenging). They also serve to help you become more flexible and get stronger so that you’ll have a wider range of motion in every aspect of your life.
Wouldn’t it be nice to feel more free to move in everything you do? Yoga can get you there! Per Parade, yoga is one of the best exercises to strengthen your core.
#7: You’ll experience better sleep
If you’re anything like us, it’s hard for you to remember a time when you weren’t tired. Being a human is exhausting and sleep can be all too hard to come by. Since rest is key to success in pretty much all the things, better sleep is an especially appealing benefit of yoga for men.
Yoga can help you sleep better by encouraging you to build a more consistent routine, regulating your nervous system, and (say it with us again!) reducing stress. A Harvard Medical School study cited in Psychology Today revealed that insomniacs who did yoga on a daily basis experienced more efficient sleep, longer periods of sleep, and shorter periods of falling asleep than those who did not participate in yoga.
A wide variety of other studies link a yoga practice to higher-quality sleep. This may be because of the physical exertion required for a yoga workout or because of the way it encourages you to regulate your breathing. Regardless of the why, more sleep is always a good thing!
#8: It will help you breathe deeper
Chances are that you don’t spend a lot of time actively thinking about the quality of your breathing. Maybe it’s time to give it some thought! Deep breathing is good for blood flow, energy levels, posture, digestion, pain reduction, and so much more.
While we’re a little less focused on breathing at bulldog yoga than other, more traditional yoga studios, taking our classes will still force you to pay closer attention to the way you’re breathing so you can stay in the flow. Ideally, you’ll take those skills with you off the mat!
#9: Yoga will get you on track for an overall healthier lifestyle and improved mental health
Assuming you have health goals around improving your overall wellness, yoga is definitely for you. Studies show that yogis tend to be more connected to their bodies than people who don’t participate in a yoga practic. AND, yoga has proven mental health benefits!
How to get started with online yoga
Now that you know the many health benefits of yoga for men, we can’t imagine that you wouldn’t want to give it a try. Here are a few tips that will help you feel more confident and ready to jump in, even if you’re a beginner!
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Start with the basics
There are plenty of options for yoga newbies in our catalog of online classes. Activate classes focus on slow flow yoga. They are a good place to start and will really help you get acclimated to the poses you’ll need in all of your yoga workouts. We also offer warm-up and Bulldog Basics classes to get you in the flow. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with beginner yoga classes, you can move on to any of our many other choices. We’re here with anything you need — slow flow yoga, power yoga, sculpt, and more!
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Check out our custom workout plans.
Need help figuring out how to structure online yoga classes into a fitness routine that will keep you moving in the long-term? Our Beginner Yoga Workout Plan might be just what you need! It lays out the classes (some slow flow yoga, some cardio flow yoga — a little of everything!) you should take every day for four weeks. By the end of those four weeks, you’ll be hooked and ready to explore our other Custom Workout Plans.
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Keep it simple.
You don’t need much to get started with an online yoga practice — just enough space to put down your mat and move your limbs around. You can stream online yoga classes from any device, too. Keep your yoga setup simple so you can focus on getting comfortable with the poses and gaining confidence on your mat.
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Get your friends involved.
If men’s yoga is new to you, chances are that it’s new to at least a few of your friends, too — and they can probably benefit from it as much as you can! Ask your friends if they want to check out some online classes, too. You’ll be able to trade notes on the experience, plus you can help each other be accountable to your workout schedule.
Good news! We have two online classes available with you (the bros!) in mind.
You’re going to dig these – Check them out:
Get warmed up with this awesome video that breaks down the awesomeness of men’s yoga even further!
Yoga at home is convenient and fun!