Think pilates and yoga are just for women? Think again – these are excellent full-body workouts that bring significant health and fitness benefits for men as well as women. Here is why you should incorporate this workout style into your sports routine right now.  

Historically, pilates and yoga have often been dismissed as ‘not for me’ by male gym members –largely in favour of higher-impact, intense workout sessions. And at face value you would be forgiven to think of these practices only from the point of view of the gentle movements, involving lots of stretching, in many cases not even causing you to break into a sweat.

But anyone who actually tries one of these classes will be forced to reconsider: slower-paced as they might (generally) be, these exercises are more physically challenging then you may think, and make up thorough and highly effective full-body workouts. Whether supporting your usual fitness routine, of simply providing you with an all-round solution for mental and physical wellbeing, here are the fantastic benefits that make yoga and pilates perfect workout options for men.

Even when just mat-based, yoga and pilates exercises develop core strength and build lean muscle in a comprehensive way, which in turn will improve your athletic performance. You will hit a golf ball further, run faster and with less pain, be able to lift more weight in the gym, or have improved stability on the saddle when cycling.

 When using the range of pilates equipment available, you also have the added advantage of being able to mimic movements from various sports, such as a tennis or golf swing – enabling you to perfect your technique, but also to stabilise the rest of your body during these controlled movements.

Pilates is also of significant help to triathletes during their training, as building functional strength and flexibility leads to higher levels of endurance – helping them preserve energy during their various challenges.

The added flexibility is also invaluable to the prevention of injuries, back pain and balance issues – so a huge advantage to professional athletes, but also to recreational players or regular gym goers.

Pilates for instance focuses heavily on biomechanics, and the correct alignment of your body, meaning that the exercises will help develop a proper muscle balance, preventing overuse or any compensation that would lead to using the wrong muscles for a specific movement or activity.

Of course, this is crucial as part of a training programme, but also helpful in your day-to-day life for easy, unrestricted movement, which is why pilates is recommended by physiotherapists the world over – particularly for the treatment and prevention of back pain. In fact, Joseph Pilates – a former boxer and wrestler – developed the discipline as a rehabilitation method for internees in World War I.

Spending most of your day at your desk and glancing down at your phone can not only leave you vulnerable to neck and back aches, but also impact your overall posture. Similarly, if your usual workout focuses heavily on toning your chest, abs and arms muscles, chances are you are affecting your posture as well. And while a relaxing massage can soothe some of the pain, regularly practicing yoga can have a proper restorative effect on your body through movement.

When it comes to asymmetric activities such as racquet sports or golf, where players generally twist the spine only in one direction, yoga exercises can also provide some much needed balance.

Connecting the mind with the body plays a big part in yoga and pilates alike. And ensuring you maintain your breathing in synch with your movements requires concentration throughout your time on the mat. This ability to focus consistently during class will eventually carry over in other aspects of your daily life, boosting your overall productivity.

Whether feeling the impact of a high-pressured job or a hectic lifestyle, you can turn to yoga, and especially Hatha Yoga, as a great way to relieve stress. Due to its combination of poses ("asanas") and breathing techniques ("pranayama"), regular yoga practice helps release otherwise internalised tension, and reduces cortisol levels, while also preparing the body to respond more effectively to stressful situations – by lowering heart rate and blood pressure.

Besides reducing anxiety, yoga exercises are known to improve blood circulation and to strengthen the pelvic floor.

In fact, in a 2011 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers found that men who practiced yoga for 12 weeks reported improved overall sexual function, including on measures of desire, satisfaction and performance.

If you think of yoga as nothing more than deep breathing and stretching, think again – as the discipline continues to grow and evolve, more and more variants have been emerging to push you both physically and mentally. The likes of Ashtanga (Power) Yoga and Bikram yoga are very physical, intense forms of exercise that will give your body as good a workout as any gym-based training programme.

In recent years, there is also a new variation of Broga exercise regimens that combine fitness workouts with traditional yoga postures – specifically designed for men, or for those who believe do not have the necessary flexibility for usual yoga. The physically challenging classes include core-strenthening, muscle-toning and cardio exercises, and are focused around multiple sets of repetitions, allowing participants to gradually become more mobile.

And with pilates, while it’s important to get the technique right before you progress to more advanced mat-based classes, you can challenge yourself by using machines such as the Reformer, Cadillac, Spine Corrector and Wunda Chair.