6 Health Benefits of Yoga for Men

Men can enjoy improved posture, better digestion and relief from back pain when they practice yoga regularly. Recent studies also show how yoga enhances men’s heart health and mental wellbeing. Drawing on the latest research, in this article we’ll definitively answer the question, is yoga good for men? Spoiler alert: it is!

Benefits of yoga for men

Benefit 1: Yoga improves your heart health

1: Yoga improves your heart health

[1]Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the US, responsible for roughly one in four deaths.

Incredibly yoga has been shown to help in many ways…

Harvard Medical School believes it’s down to multiple factors, most notably how it increases your overall level of fitness and reduces stress.[2]

A systematic review of the evidence in 2012 found that 25 out of 35 studies on the topic, concluded that a regular yogic exercise regime reduced the stress levels of respondents.[3]

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Benefit 2: Yoga can boost your mental health

2: Yoga can boost your mental health

Statistics show that men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide, with poor male mental health often cited as a reason.[4]

The nature of the practice means it can work wonders for your mind…

Research presented in 2018 focused on 21 veterans suffering from depression.[5]

They followed a Hatha course and significant mood improvements were seen following an eight-week program.

Increasing the number of male instructors has been suggested as a solution to encourage more men into the practice, breaking down the societal assumption that it’s only for women.

If you want to improve your mood and feel more positive, there are a few key asanas for anxiety and depression that you could try.

Benefit 3: Yoga could support testicular cancer survivors

3: Yoga could support testicular cancer survivors

There have been many investigations done into how to help testicular cancer survivors live with their condition and improve their quality of life.

A systematic review published in the World Cancer Research Journal looked at a variety of mind and body interventions, including yoga.[6]

Yogic exercises were shown to help manage and reduce symptoms of fatigue in testicular cancer survivors.

Benefit 4: Yoga can enhance your sex life

4: Yoga can enhance your sex life

A pilot study in 2010 on 65 males enrolled in a yoga camp, looked at many different aspects of male sexual functioning and found that the practice was beneficial for every one.[7]

Aspects included desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, erection and ejaculatory control.

The study couldn’t state conclusively why it improved male sexual function.

However it was thought that the way it improves your mood and tones your pelvic muscles were contributing factors to a happy and more satisfying time in the bedroom.

An improved sex life is also a benefit of yoga for women, so it seems everyone can enjoy more pleasure by regular stretching!

Benefit 5: Yoga can help with sleep apnea

5: Yoga can help with sleep apnea

Men are nearly three times as likely to suffer from sleep apnea.[8]

A 2017 research project looked at pranayama breathing techniques and compared them to PAP therapy (essentially treatments that involve patients receiving a stream of compressed air while sleeping).[9]

Findings concluded that pranayama breathing practice improved breathing and enhanced respiratory muscle function.

So you can use yoga for sound sleep, to build muscle and improve your sex life, what are you waiting for?!

Benefit 6: Yoga isn’t competitive

6: Yoga isn’t competitive

Though more and more men are practicing yoga and you see many of them showing off their technique on Instagram, it’s not competitive.

It’s often cited as a plus of yoga for men as instead of focussing on external competition, it forces you to turn inwards and focus on your own personal growth.

Want to learn more about the power of yoga?

We’ve gathered the latest research and expert opinions to compile a list of proven yoga benefits.

You’ll be amazed at its healing qualities, including the way it has the potential to slow down the aging process…

Laura Smith

Author

Laura Smith

Associate Editorial Manager

Specialist health & wellbeing writer, passionate about discovering new technologies & sharing the latest research.

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023). Men and Heart Disease [Online]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/men.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_men_heart.htm [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  2. Harvard Health (2019). How yoga may enhance heart health [Online]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/how-yoga-may-enhance-heart-health [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  3. Li, A.W. and Goldsmith, C-A.W. (2012). The effects of yoga on anxiety and stress [Online]. Alternative Medicine Review: A Journal of Clinical Therapeutic. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22502620/ [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  4. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (2022). Suicide Statistics [Online]. Available from: https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/ [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  5. Friedman, J.D. (2017). Study Finds Yoga Significantly Reduces Depression in Male Veterans [Online]. Yoga Journal. Available from: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/new-study-finds-yoga-significantly-reduces-depression-in-male-veterans [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  6. Cappuccio, F. et al (2016). Impact of Testicular Cancer on Survivors’ Quality of Life: Systematic Review [Online]. World Cancer Research Journal. Available from: https://www.wcrj.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/10/Impact-of-testicular-cancer-on-survivors%E2%80%99-Quality-of-Life.pdf [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  7. Dhikav, V., Karmarkar, G. and Gupta, R. (2010). Yoga in Male Sexual Functioning: A Noncompararive Pilot Study [Online]. Journal of Sexual Medicine. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45277305_Yoga_in_Male_Sexual_Functioning_A_Noncompararive_Pilot_Study [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  8. Mayo Clinic (2020). Sleep apnea [Online]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631 [Accessed 18 July 2023].
  9. Chandra, A. and Sharma, M. (2017). Yogic Pranayama and PAP Therapy: Is There a Connection? [Online]. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696000/ [Accessed 18 July 2023].