Why Do Yoga?
'Cause It's Good For You!You might have heard it from your neighbor. Or your sister. Or your significant other. Or even your mother. Yoga is good for you. But why? We're guys. We don't just do something because someone tells us 'It's good for you.' Especially when it's our mother.Well here it is!
Ten reasons why guys should be doing yoga.1. It's good for you. (Don't kick me just yet!) Research, yeah, real research has shown that yoga can help manage and sometimes get rid of all those ailments that you are taking tons of pills for. No kidding. Whether it is arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, stress, high blood pressure, asthma, depression, back pain, or other pains and problems, yoga can help and even cure it.
Yep. Yoga will help you in your favorite sport or other activity through the use of proper breathing, alignment, and awareness. When you can relax into a difficult pose or learn to breathe better while moving into a yoga position, your strength, flexibility, and balance improves. And wouldn’t better strength, flexibility, and balance make you perform better in your sport? In yoga your practice doesn't end when you step off of the mat. The good habits you practice on the mat carry over and directly relate to what you are doing elsewhere throughout your day, and especially on the sporting field.
There's nothing like seeing yourself improve day by day and that's what happens every time you step onto the yoga mat. You see, performing yoga helps you learn more about your body, in order to better yourself as a whole. And when you are doing yoga you learn to get out of your own way, and let your body learn and explore like it was meant to do. With this comes new, pleasant surprises and a better you. Bam! Instant self esteem builder.
Try standing on one leg and really focusing on your breath. Can't do that if you aren't concentrating. When we are in flow with our bodies and fully focusing on the breathing, structure, and movement of our yoga, we create a wonderful habit that helps us focus on the tasks in our daily life. By removing the outside noises and achieving this concentration, we are opening ourselves up to a more productive and creative environment. And this new awareness just might help us get that big promotion or sink that difficult putt.
Doing yoga can stimulate the immune system and help us fight off nasty things like colds and other illnesses. When we are run down and tired from the stress of daily life, and don't practice healthy nutrition, our immune system isn’t as strong as it could be. We become very susceptible to whatever bug Rover brought in with him from the swim in the river, or whatever your 5 year old has caught from his classmates. A steady exercise program like Yoga has been shown to boost our immune capacity and help us fend off those nasty bugs.
Cell phones, long commutes, the neighbor's dog and kids, YOUR kids! They can all drive you crazy if you don't know how to deal with the stress. Yoga can show you ways to reduce your stress and even laugh at stress in the face. How's that for a 5,000 year old exercise program?
Studies have shown that doing 30 minutes of yoga just 4 days a week can lower a person's body fat levels, as long as you follow a sensible diet. I'll be honest with you here. ANY exercise done 4 days a week will lower your body fat. But only yoga carries all of the other benefits along with it.
Yep, I said it. But think about it for a second. Better balance, concentration and flexibility? 'Nuff said.
Diligent practice in the 8 limbs of yoga can help you on the path to enlightenment. But for the average Joe, just getting yourself on the mat and following a consistent practice is good for now! Consistent and diligent practice is the key to anything. Even enlightenment.
Yeah, I said it again. But seriously, Why Do Yoga? with all the great points listed above what have you got to lose except for maybe stress and a couple of pounds of body fat? Return To Yoga-For-Men.com Home Page
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