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The 10 Best Poses For MenBy: Paige Greenfield

Try these poses from Baron Baptiste, yoga pro and former assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles

We know you love yoga—for your girlfriend. Her weekly practice makes her bendy in bed, more chilloverall and therefore more sexy even when she’s lounging around. Well, we’ve got news for you. Yoga isn’ta ladies-only thing like going to the bathroom in packs or opening store credit cards only to get 5 percentoff the purchase. In fact, taking one yoga class per week or doing a couple of pre-workout poses canincrease endurance, build strength, prevent injuries, and may even stave off heart disease.

How? “Men often suffer from tightness particularly in the hips, hamstrings, and shoulders that can lead toinjury or weakness,” says Baron Baptiste, creator of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and former assistantcoach with the Philadelphia Eagles. “Over-training in any one sport can cause repetitive stress and othermore serious injuries. Yoga is a full-body workout that creates both strength and flexibility. You need tohave both. One without the other is a recipe for disaster.” Not sure where to start? Practice these 10 poses inthis order, which Baptiste says benefit men because they stretch out guys’ tightest spots (like the shoulders,hips, and groin) and strengthen muscles that get no love during workouts (like the low back and knees).

Forward Fold Stretches hamstrings, calves, and hips; strengthens legs and kneesStand with feet hip-width apart, gently hinge forward at the hips and lower the torso toward the floor. Bendyour knees generously to take any pressure out of the low back and hamstrings. Grasp opposite elbows withopposite hands. Breathe deeply and let gravity take the body toward the earth. Relax your head, neck,shoulders and torso. Slowly sway your torso or gently shake your head. Hold for one minute and roll backup to standing.

Why it’s good for you: This is a great move to use as part of a warm-up for any workout.

We often have a hard time knowing when we are holding excess tension in our head, neck and shoulders,and that buildup of tension can create headaches, insomnia, poor circulation and decreased lung capacity. Ifyou practice slow, steady breathing along with this pose, it can lower your blood pressure over time.

Downward-Facing Dog Stretches feet, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves; strengthens arms, legs, and coreStart on your hands and knees with your feet and knees hip-width apart. Position your hands aboutshoulder-width apart, and spread your fingers wide. Pressing firmly through your hands, lift your knees offthe floor and straighten your legs. (If you have tight hamstrings, a gentle bend in the knees is fine). Walkyour hands forward a few inches, and walk your feet back a few inches to lengthen the pose. Squeeze yourthighs as you press them toward the back wall. Press your heels back and down toward the floor (thoughthey might not reach the floor). Relax your head and neck and let your shoulder blades slide down yourback toward your feet. Set your gaze between your feet. Suck your stomach in and engage your coremuscles. Breathe deeply. Hold for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Why it’s good for you: We often experience back pain due to chronic tightness in the hamstrings and hips.It’s also common for us to have very tight shoulders. Down Dog releases those areas, while building upperbody strength. If you can do only one pose a day, start with Downward Dog.

ChairStretches shoulders and chest; strengthens thighs, calves, spine, and anklesStand up tall with your big toes touching. Inhale and raise your arms straight up to the ceiling alongsideyour head and neck with palms facing each other. Drop your shoulders down your back as you lengthen upthrough the neck. As you exhale, bend your knees, sit down and back as if you were sitting in a chair (likedoing a squat with your feet together). Do not let your knees extend past your toes. With each inhalelengthen the spine. With each exhale sit a little deeper in the chair. Eventually your thighs will be parallel tothe floor. Drop your tailbone down toward the floor to take any stress out of your lower back. Keep yourcore muscles engaged and keep your knees and thighs pressed tightly together. Hold for 30 seconds.

Why it’s good for you: No gym necessary! Chair pose torches abdominal fat while strengthening the thighsand legs.

Crescent Lunge Loosens tight hips by stretching the groin; strengthens arms and legsStart on your hands and knees. Step your right foot between your hands into a lunge, keeping your rightknee directly above your heel. Inhale and slowly lift your back knee off the floor. Press your back heeltoward the wall behind you as you begin to straighten the back leg. Keep your spine long as you hold andbreathe. Let your hips fall forward as you continue to press the back heel behind you. Hold for one minuteand then repeat on the second side. Do each side twice.

Why it’s good for you: Tight hips can cause lower back pain, knee strain, and injury, which can keep youout of the game, out of the gym, and in pain at your desk. Add Crescent Lunge to your pre-workout routineto open the hips.

Warrior IStretches shoulders and hips; strengthens upper and lower bodyCome into Crescent Lunge with your right foot forward in the lunge. Spin your left toes to face the left sideof the room and press your heel down. Your back foot should be parallel with the front of the room. Inhaleand reach your arms up alongside your head with your palms facing each other. Drop your shoulders downyour back. Bring your torso up and off the front thigh. Don’t let your front knee extend past the toes. Bothhips should face forward. Hold for one minute. Repeat on the opposite side.

Why it’s good for you: Warrior increases space and mobility in areas where men need it most—shoulders,hips, and knees. It’s another pose that generates great stability in and around the knee, so increases stabilityfor high-impact workouts.

Bridge Stretches chest, neck, spine, and hips Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. You should be ableto tickle the backs of your heels with your hands. Place your arms on the floor alongside your body, palmsdown, and as you inhale, lift your hips off the floor and press them to the ceiling. Keep your knees directlyover your heels. For an added shoulder stretch slide your arms under your body, interlace your fingers, andpress the backs of your arms into the floor as you continue to lift your hips. Hold for 45 seconds and witheach breath, let your hips float a little higher. Exhale when you lower your hips. Repeat 3 times.

Why it’s good for you: Many men are tight in the intercostal muscles and connective tissue surrounding therib cage, which can limit lung capacity. Bridge pose opens the chest and releases those tight muscles,allowing for fuller, easier breaths. Over time, practicing this pose can improve performance in all physicalactivities and is helpful for relieving upper respiratory issues.

Bow PoseStretches hips, shoulders, and thighs; strengthens backLie on your stomach and reach your arms back toward your feet with the palms facing up. Bend your kneesso that your heels come in toward your buttocks. Inhale and grab the outside of your ankles (right ankle inright hand, left ankle in left hand). Press your ankles into your hands and your hands into your ankles as youlift your thighs off the floor. Breathe deeply and fully as you continue pressing your legs up and back. Holdfor 30 seconds and repeat two or three times. If you are very tight in the hips or quadriceps, you may wantto try one leg at a time.

Why it’s good for you: One of the best stress-busting poses, Bow opens the chest to allow you to take inmore oxygen. Strong abs are great, but can lead to injury if you don’t strengthen the back, too. Bow posetakes care of this, reducing your risk of injury due to muscular imbalance.

Boat PoseStrengthens abs, spine, arms and hip flexorsSit on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor in front of you. Place your hands behind yourglutes and lean into the arms for support. Engage your core muscles and keep a perfectly straight spine asyou lift your right leg and then the left, bringing them to a 45-degree angle with the floor. Bring your legstogether and imagine squeezing a book between your thighs to keep them active. Lift through the sternumand slowly straighten your legs while keeping your torso straight (if it starts to collapse, keep a slight bendin the knees). Press through the balls of the feet and spread your toes wide. Reach your arms toward thefront of the room, on either side of your legs, keeping them in line with your shoulders, palms facing down.Hold for 30 seconds, working up to a minute or longer.

Why it’s good for you: In addition to strengthening the core and back muscles, Boat promotes healthythyroid and prostate gland function. Hero PoseStretches knees, ankles and thighsBegin in a kneeling position with knees touching. Bring your heels out alongside your buttocks, keepingyour shins and ankles pressing down into the floor. If you can, sit your buttocks on the floor between yourlegs. If this is uncomfortable, place a phone book or block beneath you to lessen the tension in the kneesand ankles. You will feel a strong stretching sensation, but you should not feel pain. This is a progressivepose and your body will adapt to it over time. Hold for one minute and keep your breath slow and deep.Rest, and repeat a second time.

Why it’s good for you: Hero pose stabilizes and strengthens the vulnerable knee joints while lubricating theconnective tissues in and around the knee with blood, oxygen, and fluid, making it an essential pose forrunners.

Reclining Big Toe Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves; strengthens the kneesLie on your back and extend your left leg toward the ceiling at a 90-degree angle with your right legextended along the floor. Flex both feet. Bend your left knee and bring the knee in toward your chest usingyour hands. Hug it tightly against your body to relax your hip. Next, loop a strap around your left foot andslowly straighten the left leg back to 90 degrees. Press your right thigh firmly down against the floor. Holdfor 5 breaths and repeat on the opposite side. Repeat twice on each side.

Why it’s good for you: This pose stimulates the prostate gland and improves digestion. Runners may find ituseful for relieving sciatica caused by a tight piriformis.

Finish in Corpse Pose, lying flat on your back with your arms alongside your body. Close your eyes andbreathe naturally. Stay here for at least two to three minutes and allow every muscle to melt into the floorbeneath you.

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