Yoga for men

If you think the best thing about yoga is that it keeps Sting out of the recording studio, let us enlighten you. With its myriad styles and positions (or asanas), yoga has the potential to cure any number of ills. “Holding intense positions while regulating your breath recruits your entire body and mind,” says Helen Smith, of the UK’s peak yoga body, the British Wheel of Yoga. So whether you’re short on energy, plagued by aches or dogged by stress, we’ve got a pose for you.

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FOR: The injury-prone footballer
WHAT? Invented by yogi B.K.S. Iyengar, this brand of yoga is known for using props such as belts and blocks.
BENEFIT: Protect yourself against classic football injuries to prolong your season and improve your form. “The key is the use of props to lengthen and strengthen your hamstrings, quads and calf muscles,” says Smith.
KEY MOVE: Reclining big-toe pose Lie on your back. Wrap a belt around your left foot and raise your leg towards the ceiling, aiming for a 90º angle. Pull gently until you feel it in your hamstrings and calves, then repeat on your right leg.

FOR: The overworked desk jockey
WHAT? A high-impact form of yoga, which is particularly good for boosting endurance.
BENEFIT: Ashtanga is a serious stress buster. “The emphasis on each asana being completed in one breath becomes meditative, as a means via which you can focus on deep breathing through your diaphragm (rather than your chest),” says Smith. “Plus it’ll increase your aerobic stamina.”
KEY MOVE: Forward-bend pose Stand with your feet together and inhale as you raise your arms in a wide, arcing motion. Now exhale slowly (pulling in your diaphragm) as you bend at the hips.

FOR: The exhausted new Dad
WHAT? A modern hybrid from Chinese Taoist yoga; particularly targets connective tissues.
BENEFIT: This will give you an instant and lasting energy boost. “Asanas are held for several minutes, and the deep rhythmic breathing feeds more oxygen to your muscles, raising your energy levels for hours afterwards,” says Simon Low, of London-based yoga school Triyoga.
KEY MOVE: The pigeon On all fours, slide your right knee to your right hand. Slide your left leg back as far as you can. Hold for five minutes, then repeat on the other side. Too easy? Try moving your right ankle up to your left wrist and hold it there.

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FOR: The double-ended candle burner
WHAT? Yoga that is performed in a room at a balmy 43°C, with a humidity of 40 per cent.
BENEFIT: Kill a hangover hours before its natural death. “Bikram blocks off then re-releases your blood supply,” explains Olga Allon, founder of Hot Bikram Yoga. “The volume change of fresh blood, combined with the heat, means toxins are flushed to your skin and sweated out.”
KEY MOVE: Elbow raise Lock your hands under your chin. With your elbows together, inhale through your nose, then raise your elbows either side of your head, keeping your hands locked. Hold for 10 seconds.