Thousands of years ago, yoga was designed and practiced by men, for men. In a lot of ways, women are just crashing the party. If you think yoga isn’t physically demanding and has zero benefits, then you should keep on reading and hopefully the reasons below will be appealing enough to get you to try it.

Misconception: You have to wear spandex.

• You definitely don’t have to wear spandex nor pink, unless of course you want to.
• There’s no mandatory designer brand dress code.
• You can wear whatever you feel comfortable moving in.
• Most probably, you will not be the only guy in the yoga class.

 Prevent workout injuries

The most common reason for sports-related injuries is due to overuse and abuse to the body. Hamstrings, knees, shoulders, and low back pain are ranked as some of the most frequent sports injuries. Flexible- yoga practices will not only aid in stretching the muscles that hinder performance but also heal, recover muscles more quickly after working out.

Sculpt muscles and work on your core

Yoga uses the weight of your body to build mass and strength, so put down the dumbbells and use this ancient practice to sculpt your entire body. Yoga allows you to get the same muscle-building benefits by performing long, extended pushups, squats, and leg lifts. If you want to relieve back pain, improve balance and coordination, or shave time off from your run, then focus on your core through yoga.

Increase your lung capacity

When exercising, it’s easy to hold your breath or breathe irregularly, which in fact, holds you back. Focused breath work builds a connection with your body as you simultaneously pose and take full, deep breaths. When you are working out to the point of exhaustion, it’s easy to lose that connection. But if you practice focused breathing routinely (with yoga), it will improve your overall endurance with each breath that you take.

Chill out and relieve stress

Getting amped up at the gym or punching a bag after a stressful day can actually make you more aggressive or tired so it will have the opposite effect on relaxing your body and mind. Yoga trains your mind to see the bigger picture and act from integrity instead of freaking out. To sum up the stress-relieving effects, yoga helps you become more like James Bond than Charlie Sheen.

The real results of regular yoga are quite practical, and you don’t need any special equipment–just a few square feet of space and a mat.  In a nutshell, yoga will make you better at whatever you do. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just really passionate about being the best FIFA player you can be, yoga will help you get better at it. Let yoga be your secret weapon!

-SK