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Yoga and Men

Therese M. Pope | April 24, 2008

Men are at high risk for developing serious diseases and are turning to yoga to decrease these potential health problems. The Center for Disease Control reports that the leading causes of death in men are heart disease and cancer. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 68.3 million men are considered overweight obese (a BMI, body mass index, of 25 or greater). Men are also prone to diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke and high blood pressure.

Tales from the Yoga Mats: Yoga isn’t for Women Anymore

Men of all age ranges and physical abilities are turning to yoga as a way to stay in optimum physical condition. They are also using yoga as complementary cross-training to sports.

David Aagaard, a 58 year- old yoga student from Auburn, California, has been taking yoga for four years at his fitness club. He was initially drawn to yoga in the 1980s when it was offered at a local adult evening class.

“For me, it is a good all around workout centering on flexibility, breathing, relaxation, and strength building. It is also a stress reliever. If I can do yoga two times a week (1 1/2 hour classes) and also do aerobic activities three to four times a week for one hour
sessions, that is a good weekly schedule for me right now at this stage of my life,” explains Aagaard.

He has seen more men participating in classes at his fitness club, although the yoga conference he attended recently was primarily women.

Aagaard, who practices a combination of Ashtanga and Yin yoga, enjoys the Sun Salutations (A and B).

“Even when I wasn’t doing yoga regularly, I would always do a form of Sun Salutations as a warm-up for running.”

Aaron Smith, a 36 year-old computer professional, relies on yoga as a stress reliever in his busy life. He was hesitant to try a yoga class at first.

“My wife took me to a class. I was skeptical but I found I really liked it,” Smith recalls.

He has been practicing yoga over the past four years and attends classes one to two times a week. His teacher’s style is eclectic and pulls from Ashtanga and other styles including Thai Massage and Pilates.

He thinks that yoga is slowly catching on with men, but men still face some challenges in class.

“I see men come and go in the class, but there is only a handful that attends regularly. I think it still suffers from prejudices and misconceptions. When someone does try it, I think it can be very intimidating even for someone that considers themselves to be in shape. The combination of strength, flexibility and balance can be very demanding and could frustrate a man who thought the class would be easy,” explains Smith.

Smith offers sound advice to men so they won’t feel as intimidated when they first begin their yoga practice.

“Go with a friend; it doesn’t matter if they have experience or not. Having someone you are not hesitant to talk over what is working, and what is difficult can help. Give it some time; you are going to be using different muscles in different ways even if you are active in other sports.”

Not only does he enjoy the energy and endurance he has found through his regular practice, he knows he is fighting the aging process at an early age.

“I am far more flexible than any of my friends or co-workers my age. I see this
as an investment in avoiding joint replacements in another forty years. It takes me out of my head (where I spend most of my day) and gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment especially when I’m able to finally do a pose I have been working on.”

The Male Yogi’s Perspective

As a male teacher, Yoga Jason (owner of Yoga Jason LLC, www.yogajason.com), has seen the progression of more men attending classes.

“I find that men are much more likely to attend a class with a male instructor. I think that men have labeled yoga as a thing for women and when they see that a man is teaching they see that it can also be something for them,” Yoga Jason explains.

Yoga Jason, a teacher based out of Amsterdam, created a DVD “You Can Yoga” in which three teachers are teaching the same lesson but at their own level of experience.
Yoga Jason offers his students a purely physical yoga experience.

“I founded my yoga school and production company, Yoga Jason LLC, under the slogan 'No Religion, Just Relaxin’. A big turn off for a lot of people, in my experience, is the chanting and New Age aspects of yoga. I offer people a full physical practice without any sort of preaching or Hindu side effects. You can achieve the full benefits of yoga without going into that.”

He mentioned that ten years ago yoga was associated with women and hippies but that’s not the case anymore.

“Now with so many different teachers and styles available to the masses there is something for everyone if you just search hard enough and don't judge the entire yoga world on stereotypes or based on one experience.”

According to Yoga Jason, he encourages students to try many different teachers in the beginning until they find someone the like. The most common thing he sees is that people only try one form of yoga and think that’s it. He thinks students need to explore other lessons and teachers and stick with what suits them best.

“You should choose your yoga teacher as selectively as you choose your partner because in the end it is a relationship,” advises Yoga Jason.

Golfer and Author Looks to the Power of Yoga

Jimmy Apfelbaum, golfer and author of The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations and That’s Golf, turned to yoga to help him with his golf game and to rehabilitate from a softball injury.

He stumbled upon yoga at his local Austin, Texas coffeehouse and became hooked on yoga ever since. Although, he had to reshape his athletic philosophy when he first began his practice.

“I had an entirely Western athletic view grounded in the necessity of ‘pushing it’ to get results. This attitude extends well beyond sports, of course,” explains Apfelbaum.

Apfelbaum has noticed an increased interest in yoga by men; however, he notices that his male peers are still skeptical about yoga.

“I do see more men in the classes. At the same time, there is an appreciable raise of eyebrows and furtive grins from those who see me carrying my mat at the radio station. And yet, professional athletes in all sports have embraced it. Go figure.”

Apfelbaum not only looked to yoga to help him with his injury rehabilitation process, but yoga helps with his overall wellness.

“I am in better shape physically and I like to think mentally than I would be without it, I’m certain. I do it because I know it builds core strength and because it’s fun. I have been dealing with difficult personal issues and I know it’s been instrumental there too. I do think it has helped my focus, something that’s always needed improving, and is critical to sports and to life,” Apfelbaum shares.

Whether men are practicing yoga specifically for the physical experience or for mental and spiritual wellness, men are taking yoga seriously. Yoga helps men increase their longevity, heal injuries and become better athletes.

According to Smith, there is an extra perk for single men who take yoga.

"If you are single, realize that a man in a yoga class is going to get plenty of attention based on the ratio that exists."

Sources:
Interviews: Aaron Smith, David Aagaard, Jimmy Apfelbaum, Yoga Jason
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm
www.cdc.gov