Fit or not, yoga is great for the 40+ man, be it as sole exercise or even as a supplementary one…
The 40s can be a great decade, but this is around the time your metabolism starts slowing. Luckily, yoga is about more than relaxation and connecting with your body—it can be great to manage weight with a slower metabolism.
There are plenty reasons for men to start doing yoga—as their sole exercise or even just as a supplementary one—the prime one being that the deep abdominal breathing and compression one practices with every pose busts belly fat.
When it comes to the 40-year-old man, yoga can be used either to start taking off those layers of fat, or even to help you reach your goal of ripped abs, particularly when the last bit of flab is being a tad resistant. A change of pace when it comes to exercise is a great way to trick your body into burning off more fat…
Here are five yoga poses to get a thinner, healthier middle, listed in order of increasing difficulty. Remember that before embarking on any kind of exercise, you need to get your doc’s go-ahead, especially if you are suffering from any disease, disorder, injury, or pain.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Lie on your stomach, toes flat on the floor and forehead resting on the ground. Keep your legs closed with your feet touching gently. Place your palms near your shoulders with the elbows parallel and close to your torso. Breathing in, lift your head, chest, and abdomen off the floor—slowly straightening out the arms, keeping the navel rooted to the ground. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears (no hunching) and tilt your head back to look up. Breathe out and in. Breathing out, gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor. Repeat 5 times.
Plank Pose (Kumbhakasana)
Start on your hands and knees, placing the wrists below under shoulders. Look at a point on the floor between your hands, lengthening the back of your neck and sucking in your abdominal muscles toward your spine. Tuck your toes and step or jump back with your feet, bringing your body and head in a straight line, almost parallel to the floor. Only your hands and feet are touching the floor—and remember not to raise or lower your buttocks. Hold the pose while breathing smoothly for five breaths. To release, slowly lower onto your knees, then press into a crouch or the child’s pose (balasana) to relax.
Wind Easing Pose (Pavanamuktasana)
Lie on your back with feet together and arms resting beside your body. Inhale and on the exhale, bring your right knee toward your chest and hold on to your thigh. Press in with your hands and thigh on your abdomen. Inhale and on the exhale, lift your head and chest off the floor, trying to touch your chin to your right knee. Hold and breathe evenly. Come back to start position on the exhale. Repeat on the other side and then with both the legs together…
Pontoon Pose (Naukasana)
Lie on your back with your feet straight and together, arms beside your body. Inhale deeply and lift your neck, chest and feet off the ground, simultaneously stretching arms toward the feet. Your eyes, fingers, and toes need to be in one straight line. You will feel a strain in your abs—remember to keep breathing slowly and deeply as you hold the pose. Exhaling, lower your upper body and feet back to the ground, coming back into the starting position. Repeat 5 times.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Lie on your stomach with your feet hip-width apart. Rest your arms beside your body. Fold your knees, legs pointing upwards, and grab your ankles with your hands on either side. Inhaling, pull your legs up and back, lifting your chest off the ground in a smooth movement. Look ahead and smile. Breathe out and back in deeply, holding the pose for 10-15 seconds. Relax and lower yourself back to start position. Repeat thrice.
The thing with yoga is to do as much as you can comfortably do—the key word being painless. Start small and slow, and work your way through these asanas for a healthier waistline, which is so important for a healthier 40+ lifestyle…
Do write in with your thoughts or feedback in the comments section below…Happy yoga to all our male readers.
