There are so many reasons why men should keep well away from yoga. First of all, who in their right mind needs all that extra balance, flexibility and stamina? Moreover, men rarely suffer from back pain, high blood pressure, poor posture or heart-related issues.

Or do they?

Let’s just imagine that a guy wants to get into yoga. What obstacles will he find and are there elements of yoga where his male physique will give him an advantage?

The first thing a guy should consider is that yoga is non-competitive and is not about winning or losing. The practice is held at your own pace where you decide how far to push during the session. Having said that, there are some poses (asanas) which the male physique is more adapted for and others which will really challenge the male of the species.

From my experience over the years, men generally have more upper body strength – this makes poses which require strength and stability in the arms, chest, shoulders and back easier. These include the plank, crow and scale pose.

The plank is a foundational pose. It teaches you to hold yourself together – like a sturdy wooden plank – giving you the power you need for complex poses and the grace to glide with ease through transitions between poses. This pose will build your abdominal strength – you might even find yourself shaking as you practise it. It can strengthen your arms and keep your wrists supple and healthy.

If you practise this pose, over time your upper back and neck posture will improve and you’ll create support for your lower back as you learn to engage your abdominals.

Sveta Abela

This asana strengthens the heart as it improves circulation and reduces stress

The crow pose is usually the first arm balance that yoga students learn. It is the foundational pose for most arm balances in yoga, so it’s a good idea to understand the basics of this pose first. Though it may seem tricky, the crow can be a fun pose when you get the hang of it.

The scale is an arm-balancing pose that requires and creates strong abdominal muscles. Practised during the ashtanga seated sequence, it is also a popular part of power and vinyasa yoga classes. Its name comes from the Sanskrit words ‘tola’ (meaning ‘scale’) and ‘asana’ (meaning ‘pose’).

Once your body is lifted off the floor, you can swing back and forth, just like a scale. The full version of the pose is performed with the legs in lotus pose – this explains why sometimes it is referred to as ‘lifted lotus’. Tolasana can be a fun pose to work toward as you gain strength and flexibility.

The challenges men usually have involve their flexibility in the lower back, hamstrings, groin and hip area. This makes some asanas a bit more intense and difficult. Among these is the downward facing dog, for which men need to use challenging areas such as hamstrings, calves, arms, shoulders, back and hips. While it stretches the body, the downward facing dog also strengthens the arms and legs. Perhaps even more important for men is what this pose does for the heart – this amazing asana strengthens the heart as it improves circulation, reduces stress and helps relieve high blood pressure.

Another challenging pose is the butterfly. This pose helps increase blood flow to the pelvis, kidneys, prostate and bladder. The butterfly pose is also a good way to draw attention to mula bandha, the root lock, which also brings awareness and more energy to the area around the hips.

Do you suffer from tight hips? If this is the case, then the half pigeon can be your best friend. This posture is a challenging one, but you can ease yourself into it as your hips open more and more.

Since it’s a powerful way to open the glutes, hamstrings, adductors and hip flexors, this pose can help you when you take part in physical activities such as carrying heavy objects.

Once you release the tension in your hips, you’ll also feel the benefit in your lower back and other areas of your body.

So there it is – there are even poses for men in yoga which you’ll find a breeze and others which will have you sweating in no time. This just goes to show that yoga is for everyone. In fact, more men have realised the benefits yoga can provide and are joining in.

As with any new practice regime you should seek experienced supervision and medical advice when attempting any new physical activity.

■ Sveta Abela is founder at Power Yoga World. For more information visit www.poweryogaworld.com.