6 Big Benefits of Yoga For Men & Women

November 30, 2022

The fact that yoga is associated with some immense and far-reaching benefits is no secret at this point. But what should you expect? What are the benefits of yoga for men and women who are able to stick with it?

Is Yoga a Safe Choice For Me?

Unhealed acute injuries are the main thing to watch out for. In general, most injury-free people should have little trouble trying their first yoga session and subsequently building a healthy routine according to their needs, capabilities, and goals. This is equally true across age, gender, etc.

The majority of people are likely to see benefits by committing to a yoga practice. The routine is both healthy and centering, and while yoga may demand a little sweat and vulnerability of its practitioners, your mind/body will thank you for it before you know it. In continuing to show up to the mat, you’ll begin noticing the little (and not so little) ways your yoga practice is paying off.

What Are the Different Types of Yoga?

A variety of yoga styles and levels of commitment are available to you. Here are the five main types of yoga:

• Hatha
• Ashtanga
• Vinyasa
• Kundalini
• Anusara

Opportunities exist to customize your work within individual classes as well. Good teachers often suggest modifications for some of the more demanding poses in a typical all-levels session.

Yoga For Men & Women: Is It the Same?

Yoga is for all people. There is nothing to suggest a major difference in the benefits of yoga for men versus women. In other words, men and women can expect largely similar health results while practicing.

It may be worth noting that the female bone structure lends itself to a range of motion that some men cannot as easily achieve in a safe way. In a 2012 New York Times article, William Broad points to reports of fewer and less severe female injuries as a result of complex poses. (Yogaville)

In the article, Broad (a male “yoga enthusiast” with a daily practice) references The Science of Flexibility by Michael J. Alter to highlight a difference in the shapes of pelvic regions that may be relevant here.

All of this is FAR from any reason for males to stay away from yoga. In fact, yoga was famously an activity for males originally. No, it’s clear that yoga benefits men and women. Preventing these types of injuries may simply come down to community-level awareness and a rejuvenated approach to the way we look at yoga in the 21st century.

Broad hopes the larger yoga community can work to better respect the abilities of all practitioners, practice more consciously, and resist the urge to ever push anyone (including ourselves!) past what that person is ready for.

6 Major Benefits of Yoga

So, what are the benefits of yoga for men and women who get into it? Let’s take a look at six cool perks of practicing yoga.

Flexibility

You’ve probably heard something like this common refrain: I wish I could do yoga, but I’m just not flexible like that! Guess what though… That’s EXACTLY why you should try it. Would you avoid taking a car into the auto repair shop because it’s too scratched up? Of course not! You’d probably be interested in what needs to be done to reverse that damage, right?

Strength

Your may feel your physical strength improve through yoga, but that’s not all! Diligent yogis may also begin to notice their mental fortitude increase. By sticking with a yoga practice we are growing. By persevering through the frustrating imperfections we may perceive as “failures” early on, we are becoming stronger in our bodies and in our minds.

Community

It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a massive social toll. We’ve re-entered a world in which former communities and social circles look different. Many were destroyed completely, which makes this a time for personal and universal rebuilding.

Still, not everyone feels like an emotional/social go-getter post-lockdown. If you’re anxious about the prospect of making new friends, a yoga class could be a great place to start. Jumpstarting a new value-based routine is a low-pressure way to build community and meet like-minded people. This might be appealing for many, especially for those suffering from anxiety and/or continued isolation.

Mental Wellness

Building discipline, however, is only one of several positive mental benefits of yoga. Aside from the depression and anxiety relief, your mat is delivering a bit of a brain boost! MRIs and brain imaging of consistent yoga practitioners show thicker cerebral cortexes and hippocampuses. Specifically in the older yoga-practicing subjects, researchers found an exciting lack of the shrinkage evident in older participants who didn’t regularly practice yoga (Harvard Health).

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can serve as a wonderful motivator for better bodily alignment. Yoga is also a practice that can quite literally alter the brain’s relationship with pain. While this might sound like something out of a science fiction novel, real life science bears it out (VeryWell Health). For the millions of Americans suffering from persistent aches and bodily pain, pain relief may represent one of the greatest benefits of yoga.

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