According to the Yoga Alliance, over 70 per cent of the yoga practitioners in the US are female, with the practice long being seen as a workout for women. However yoga for men is growing, with statistics showing that the number of men practicing yoga is up from 4 million in 2012 to 10 million by the beginning of 2016.
With this rise also comes a new wave of websites for men, not only to get them interested in yoga and support them during their yoga journey, but also to offer workouts specifically designed for the male body. Here we round up a selection of our favorite sites which show that yoga is not just for the ladies but offers health benefits and challenges that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Broga Yoga
Aiming to provide accessible yoga classes "from a man's point of view," Broga Yoga is redefining yoga for men, and offers something for the complete beginner to the professional athlete.
Studio classes are popping up across the US, with a small but growing amount of classes even going global. But if you can't make it to a class near you, Broga Yoga also offers online classes. Giving you the flexibility of a yoga class wherever and whenever you want, it also gives you the chance to practice alone at home with a workout designed for men, rather than in an often female-dominated studio class.
And its 30-day free yoga program is a great way for guys to see if yoga is the workout for them.
Man Flow Yoga
Man Flow Yoga was founded by US-based Dean Pohlman to give men a workout which builds strength throughout the whole body. Not a fan of the spiritual side of yoga, instead Pohlman based Man Flow Yoga on his own fitness journey to improve flexibility, core strength, bodily awareness, and balance using yoga workouts specially designed for the male body.
With an extensive workout library available online, the site also offers a diet, nutrition and lifestyle section to complement your yoga practice and help you reach optimum physical fitness. There also e-books for further reading and even a Man Flow Yoga app, which offers targeted routines, workouts for every level, and a guide to poses to help you improve your technique and yoga knowledge.
Dirty Yoga
Wanting to create a "virtual studio" to make their workouts accessible for all, and consistent with the same yoga teacher, Dirty Yoga offers an online yoga program for guys who want to workout using yoga alone, or complement their other favorite sports such as running, cycling, and basketball with a yoga practice.
The site delivers a ready-made yoga program for you, or allows you to choose your own schedules from the available online workouts. Although women can use the program too, the sessions are also designed with men in mind, with many using hand weights to build extra strength and definition in the body. But whichever workout combination you choose, Dirty Yoga will help you to work on your strength, flexibility, stamina, and balance, but with a practical, no fuss and no frills approach to yoga. There's even a special beginners section and tips and tricks blog to help get men started, as well as a "The Man-Yoga Support Group" to "reassure yourself that real men do yoga and that your manhood is intact."
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