Although it’s not something you would normally associate with testosterone, you can certainly practice yoga for testosterone boosting benefits.
In this article we will look at how yoga can improve your testosterone and some poses you can start with.
We know resistance exercise will boost testosterone. However, you may not like weight training or you may fancy a break from throwing heavy weights around.
Good news is, there are alternatives like yoga, that work different to lifting weights but they are effective in their own way.
TLDR: How Yoga for Testosterone Works
(More on these below and how to use them to increase your T levels.)
Yoga for testosterone improves your mood, increases your sex drive and can give you stronger erections.
It uses certain mechanisms to achieve this, It…
- Reduces Stress.
- Improves Blood Flow.
- Stimulates the Endocrine System.
- Increases strength and muscle mass.
- Cleanses Your Body of Toxins
- Helps Recovery From Strenuous Exercise
- Improves Your Sleep
- Helps You Stay Away From Negative Food Choices
- Improves Your Confidence
Testosterone is One of the Most Important Hormones for Men
Testosterone is not just a sex hormone, it is responsible for building muscle, burning fat, enhancing sexual function and improving mood.
Higher testosterone levels improve every aspect of your life.
Unfortunately, many factors can lower your testosterone levels, such as aging, stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and environmental toxins.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low sex drive
- Weak erections
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lack of drive and ambition
- Reduced strength and muscle
- Poor sleep
- Low energy
- Low bone density
- High stress levels
But don’t worry, there is another natural and effective way to boost your testosterone and balance your hormones, yoga.
Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical poses, breathing techniques and meditation. It has many benefits for your health and well-being, including increasing your testosterone levels.
It is more associated with women in the west, however yoga for male health is well known in other countries.
What Are Hormones and Why They are Important
Hormones are chemicals that regulate many aspects of your body, such as metabolism, appetite, mood and reproduction.
When your hormone levels are in balance, you feel and perform your best.
But when they are out of whack, you experience a range of symptoms, such as weight gain, fatigue, depression, low libido and hair loss.
How Yoga for Testosterone Works and It’s Benefits
Yoga works in several ways to boost testosterone production and improve your hormonal balance.
Here are some of the main mechanisms:
Yoga for Testosterone Reduces Stress.
Stress is one of the biggest enemies of testosterone. When you are stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which inhibits testosterone synthesis and increases fat storage.
Yoga helps you relax and lower your cortisol levels by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and recovery.
When you relax, your cortisol goes down, boosting testosterone levels
Yoga for Testosterone Improves Blood Flow.
Blood flow is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs, including your testicles, which are responsible for testosterone production.
Yoga enhances blood circulation by stretching and contracting your muscles and opening up your blood vessels. This also helps you get stronger erections and better orgasms.
Yoga Improves Testosterone By Stimulating the Endocrine System.
The endocrine system is a network of glands that produce and secrete hormones.
Yoga activates the endocrine system by applying pressure and massage to certain areas of the body, such as the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. This stimulates the production of hormones like testosterone, growth hormone and thyroid hormone
Doing Yoga for Testosterone Increases Strength and Muscle Mass.
Although there are more effective ways to build muscle, yoga offers resistance against the floor and the static holds build strength and muscle.
Muscle mass and testosterone levels are related, up to a point.
Yoga also helps you maintain muscle mass by preventing muscle loss due to aging or inactivity.
Yoga Improves Testosterone Because it Cleanses Your Body of Toxins
Especially hot yoga. Hot yoga is when you practice the poses under high temperature in a heated room.
You will sweat out the toxins and metals that accumulate in your body, these toxins interfere with testosterone production. Some of the toxins we are exposed regularly are plastics and food and cosmetic preservatives (Parabens).
Yoga for Testosterone Helps Recovery From Strenuous Exercise
When you exercise beyond a certain point (over 45 -60 minutes) and do not allow for enough recovery post exercise, you raise your cortisol levels and your Testosterone declines.
Yoga generally, but especially the gentler styles of yoga will keep your body moving without putting too much stress on it, which helps recovery.
It also stretches and relaxes your joints and muscles which will also help your recover from strenuous workouts.
This will reduce your cortisol levels and have a positive effect on testosterone.
Regular Yoga Practice Improves Your Sleep
Sleep is essential for hormone optimization. Many people struggle with getting a solid eight hours sleep because of their on the go lifestyles and their eyes glued to a screen which emits damaging blue light
Yoga and mindful breathing during practice improves your sleep by helping you relax your nervous system and muscles. Allowing your body to fully recover and replenish your hormones at night.
The Yoga Lifestyles Helps You Stay Away From Negative Food Choices
In some countries the food is contaminated with hormones and pesticides. The yoga lifestyle is based on being in harmony with nature and living a natural life as possible, away from food that is been exposed toxic chemicals.
No matter what your preferred way of eating is, avoiding these chemicals will help your testosterone production.
Yoga Enhances Testosterone Because it Improves Your Confidence
Studies have shown people in powerful positions have a higher testosterone level. Off course, they have high levels in the first place. But it also means their confidence from their success increases their testosterone.
Social status is shown to be correlated with testosterone. This does not mean you should try to beat everyone all the time. It means improving and getting successes under your belt improves your testosterone level.
When you go to yoga, you improve your balance, co-ordination and strength. You will also feel grounded and walk sure footed. All of those things will give you confidence, other people will notice and respond accordingly making you feel even better. Raising your testosterone further.
Yoga for Testosterone Poses (Asanas)
There are many yoga poses for male virility that can help you boost your testosterone levels and balance your hormones .They all work on the same principles, so don’t get too hung up which yoga pose to focus on.
We don’t have to call them mens yoga poses, as they are for everyone. However they have unique benefits for male yogis.
Also do not forget to breathe correctly as you do the poses, they are intimately connected with the your breathe.
Just follow these simple breathing principles and you will be fine..
- Inhale as you open the front of the body.
- Exhale as you compress the front of the body.
- If you retain the breath after inhalation, stay still.
- When you retain your breath following an exhalation, you can move.
- Breathe deeply and effortlessly, even as you hold the postures.
Here are some of the most effective yoga poses for testosterone…
Bound Angle Pose.
This pose relaxes the hips and stimulates the reproductive and nervous systems.
To do this pose, sit or lie on the floor with your legs bent and the soles of your feet touching each other. Hold your feet with your hands (if sitting) and gently pull them closer to your groin. Keep your back straight and breathe deeply.
Bridge Pose.
This pose stimulates the endocrine and nervous systems.
To do this pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips off the floor and press them up towards the ceiling.
Interlace your fingers under your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Keep your chin away from your chest and breathe deeply.
Cat-Cow Flow.
This pose alternates between two positions that stretch and contract the spine. To do this pose, get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Inhale and arch your back, lifting your chest and tailbone up towards the sky (cow pose).
Exhale and round your back, tucking your chin into your chest and drawing your navel towards your spine (cat pose).
Repeat this movement several times in sync with your breath.
Chair Pose.
This pose strengthens the legs and glutes. A strong lower body is essential for overall strength and muscle, you require both to have good a testosterone level.
To do this pose, stand with your feet together and raise your arms over your head. Bend your knees and lower your hips as if you were sitting on a chair.
Keep your back straight and look forward. Hold this position for a few breaths and then stand up.
Cobra Pose
This pose opens up the chest and stimulates the thyroid gland, which is related how much free testosterone (usable) you have.
To do this pose, lie on your stomach with your legs straight and your hands under your shoulders.
Press your palms into the floor and lift your head and chest up, extending your arms as much as you can without locking them.
Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Look up or slightly forward. Hold this position for a few breaths and then lower yourself down.
Downward Dog.
This pose stretches the back of the legs, the spine, and the shoulders. It Builds strength and gives you a sense of well being and is great for the nervous system.
To do this pose, start on all fours with your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor. Push your hips back and up, straightening your legs as much as you can without locking them.
Press your heels towards the floor and spread your fingers wide. Keep your head between your arms and look at your navel.
Hold this position for a few breaths and then bend your knees and return to all fours.
Pigeon Pose.
This pose stretches and stimulates the hips and the groin.
To do this pose, start in downward dog and bring your right knee forward towards your right hand.
Slide your left leg back and lower your hips to the floor. Make sure your right shin is parallel to the front edge of your mat and your right knee is aligned with your right hip.
You can keep your torso upright or fold forward over your right leg. Hold this position for a few breaths and then switch sides.
How Often Should You Practice Yoga for Testosterone Boosting Affects ?
Aim to practice yoga at least three times a week, preferably in the morning or evening, when your hormone levels are naturally higher.
To get the best results from yoga for testosterone, you should practice it regularly and consistently.
You can also combine yoga with other forms of exercise, such as weight training or cardio, to maximize your testosterone production, recovery and overall health.
Take an Holistic Approach to Enhance Yoga for Testosterone Benefits
Doing Yoga for testosterone improvement is one element. You also need to make sure your diet is balanced and contains all the macro nutrients so your body can produce testosterone naturally.
A balanced diet of healthy fats can increase testosterone levels naturally. Protein increases the hormone glucagon which in turn increases testosterone.
It’s a good idea to get some blood work done, to see minerals you might be missing.
You have to look at your body and mind as a whole.
So make sure your lifestyle and relationships do not increase your stress and reduce your well being.
If you need to, see a health professional.
Conclusion
Testosterone has many functions, from physical strength and sex drive to mood and motivation. Low testosterone levels affect your enjoyment of life.
Doing yoga for testosterone improvement is a great addition to a healthy lifestyle which should include a healthy diet and ideally other forms of exercise. Although if yoga is your only form of exercise then you are still going to be superbly healthy.
The benefits you get from doing yoga for testosterone include, improved strength and muscle mass, less stress, reduced toxins in your body and better sleep. All of which improve your testosterone levels.
When you get your testosterone to healthy levels you will improve your mood, bone density, focus, sexual function and motivation.
Yoga for men is part of tradition in many countries, in the west we assume it is mostly for women. It’s not, there are many male yogis around the world.
Practice yoga regularly and you will not only experience the above benefits, but the other physical activities you do will also improve. I found my martial arts improved massively when I added ashtanga yoga to my training.