In the pas, the thought of doing yoga was about as appealing as watching a rom-com for many men.
Thankfully gone are the days when the thought of yoga conjures up images of ethnically-clad women, chanting while bending their bodies into impossible positions.
Now everyone from professional footballers to over-worked dads is getting in on the action. The Kilkenny School of Yoga offers a number of classes specifically for men.
"People are continually amazed at how quickly yoga can help them recover from sport related injuries, as well as ease recurring aches and pains,” said Toby Millie who teaches the men only sessions, and trains a number of sports groups in the city. Here are the advantages of yoga for men:
Yoga works the entire body. In sports such as hurling or football, 12 per cent of the body is utilised, yoga works every muscle, joint and organ and every system of the body.
Yoga reduces stress and improves sleep patterns, promoting a calmer mind. It is a simple way to combat the challenges of daily stress.
Yoga works for every size. Whether you are a 250-pound couch potato or a 120-pound tri-athlete, yoga will push your personal boundaries.
Yoga decreases muscle soreness, and is hugely beneficial in ridding stiffness from other sports. When muscles are fatigued, lactic acid builds up, yoga helps flush that away.
Yoga also restores energy levels. It does not deplete your body of energy like a gym workout, it actually increases your vigour, making you feel more vitalised.
Yoga trains your focus. Athletes around the world have heightened their performance by combining mental, physical, and emotional strength through yoga.
Finally, yoga prolongs youth. According to yoga philosophy, it is the flexibility of the spine, not the number of years that determines a person's age.
Kilkenny School offers many classes aimed at men. For further details call 056 7756570.
