At adidas we have hundreds of strong, masculine men. They can run a marathon, win bike races and climb mountains. Now with some new year’s resolutions maybe some new sporty goals for 2015 are set. But often when it comes to yoga men suddenly have prejudices and think it is not for them. Why real men do yoga in 2015? Here you go: Yoga is no longer only a girls thing and it never really was, knowing in old Indian times no women were actually allowed to do yoga. Nowadays a lot of guys have mixed feelings about yoga before they attend their first class but once they try it they really like it and keep on coming back as they realize the benefits. There are some true benefits, not only physically but also mentally, and “hell yes”, you do sweat and shake and while stretching you wish you hadn’t come to class, but the feeling afterwards makes you come back.
Yoga is a great add-on to your other sports
Yoga is a great add-on to your other sports like running, football, climbing, etc., so please don’t think it is a girls-only thing. It is a total body workout nourishing not only muscles, but also the joints, tendons and fascia and of course relaxing the nervous system.
You experience being in the present moment.
This is all that matters! When was the last time you took a full deep inhale and exhale with total awareness? This is what can also help you to become more balanced and calm at work and deal better with stress.
“I do yoga, because it improves my overall flexibility which means fewer injuries. Once you know some basic moves and positions you are able to practice anywhere.”Shaun Mahon
Yoga prevents injuries
Yoga is a great way to prevent injury and can also and especially be practiced in case you are injured (please let your teachers know about your injury so they can adjust your practice to your needs). A lot of yoga poses work the deep abdominal muscles. They are designed to protect the lumbar spine. Building strength here prevents or heals disc herniations and other back problems.
Also knee injuries and imbalances between the left and right side can be helped with yoga. Especially we office people, sitting at our desk the whole day, often have problems with our shoulders and a stiff neck. Yoga helps to release the tension and builds up a strong shoulder girdle for correct posture.
Go and find your perfect class
You might wonder where to start and how to find your perfect class as there is a huge variety of different yoga styles. Maybe you tried out one style and didn’t like it and therefore decided not to like yoga at all. I can only recommend trying out different classes and teachers and I am sure there will be one style and teacher that is right for you because yoga is for everybody and every body!
In the end it doesn’t matter what class you are going to as there is one thing all classes have in common: it is NOT about competing, ego or being better than someone else. In yoga you can be just yourself and you don’t need to worry about the person next to you on the mat. It is an individual practice where you can care about yourself, so there are all these different poses to touch the different areas in the body and with that you also relax your mind, forget about your work day and release stress.
“Yoga improves my physical health, my mental balance and it´s fun. It´s really rewarding when you manage to do something you couldn´t do before. After the session I ALWAYS feel better than before.”Mark Rouse
Dear gentlemen, what are you waiting for?
2015 is your year to give yoga a try! You will become even stronger, more flexible, balanced and focused. Most importantly, never take yourself too serious! Laugh once you fall out of a posture and be proud of yourself when you find your way on the mat! Real men do yoga – that is a fact. Enough said, go and find your class (e.g. in Nuremberg)!
“Yoga has been great for me in strengthening my back and core. Most exercise I do is with competitive sports, or weight training, so yoga has been very balancing.”Jay McMillan
1 COMMENT