How men view yoga still comes down to three doubts: it’s a women’s activity, it’s too gentle, and I’ll look stiff and out of place. The gap is real. In 2022, 10.3% of American men practised yoga, against 23.3% of women. Yet more men are now signing up to teach it.
Mr Ian Terry hears those doubts again and again in calls with male applicants to YogaFX. He is an E-RYT 500 teacher with more than 12,000 teaching hours. He trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, alongside the founder of the Bikram Hot 26&2 method. Since 2017, YogaFX has graduated more than 1,500 teachers from over 80 countries.
How Men View Yoga: The Short Answer
Most men don’t dislike yoga. Instead, they hold a few quiet doubts about it, and those doubts keep them out of the room. Once a man tries a hot class, the doubts usually fade fast, because the class is harder and more structured than he expected.
The table below sets the five most common doubts against what a man actually finds in a Hot 26&2 class. We keep the evidence in plain view so you can check it yourself.
| The doubt | What a man finds in class | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| “Yoga is for women” | A mixed room where nobody can judge your outfit or your flexibility from the front row. | CDC 2022: 10.3% of men and 23.3% of women practise. YogaFX: men were 28% of applicants in 2022. |
| “It’s too gentle” | 90 minutes of standing and floor work in a hot room, with no break to chat. | A 2014 University of Wisconsin study (Porcari et al.) put average heart rate near 80% of maximum. |
| “I’m too stiff” | Every class repeats the same 26 postures, so you see your own progress posture by posture. | YogaFX: 34% of male applicants say they want to improve their own practice, against 20% of women. |
| “I’ll look out of place” | A set script, no demonstration and no music, so attention stays on effort, not appearance. | Class format at YogaFX, taught in natural tropical heat of about 40 degrees C. |
| “It won’t do anything for my mind” | Many men describe a calmer head after class, and trial data points the same way. | Nyer et al. 2023: 59.3% of the yoga group halved depression symptoms, against 6.3% on the waitlist. |
The Numbers Behind How Men View Yoga
The clearest picture of how men view yoga comes from national health surveys. The 2022 National Health Interview Survey, reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 10.3% of men had practised yoga in the past year. For women the figure was 23.3%. Women were more than twice as likely to practise.
That doesn’t mean men dislike yoga once they try it. The same report found that 79.6% of male practitioners did yoga to restore overall health, almost the same as the 80.2% of women. Men were also slightly more likely to practise to manage pain, at 31.8% against 27.5%.
In other words, the gap looks like a gap at the door. Men who get through it want the same things women want, so they often arrive with a practical goal.
Why Stigma Shapes How Men View Yoga
Research on men’s help-seeking offers one clue. A 2016 systematic review by Seidler and colleagues in Clinical Psychology Review looked at how traditional masculine norms shape men’s help-seeking for depression. It points to self-reliance and toughness as barriers, and it calls for approaches that fit men.
We’d draw one careful line from that to yoga, and to how men view yoga in general. Yoga isn’t a treatment, and the review isn’t about yoga. But the same norms may explain why a man avoids a room that looks soft, public and unfamiliar.
From our conversations with male applicants, four barriers come up most often:
- The image. Much yoga marketing shows women, so a man may not see himself in it.
- Fear of being the worst. Nobody wants to be the stiffest person in a room of strangers.
- Doubt about difficulty. Men who lift, run or ride assume yoga can’t challenge them.
- No clear payoff. If progress isn’t measurable, many men lose interest.
None of these is a character flaw. They are reasonable doubts, so it helps that a fixed sequence in a hot room answers most of them directly. One male applicant told us he fell for the practice after a friend showed him a class. He was a professional footballer already thinking about life after the game.
How Men View Yoga Once They Try a Hot Class
A first class, step by step
A Hot 26&2 class follows the same 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, in the same order, for 90 minutes. At YogaFX the heat is natural and tropical, around 40 degrees C. The teacher follows a set script, so there’s no demonstration and no music.
A class opens with a standing breathing exercise and moves through the standing series. Then it drops to the floor for the second half and closes with a final breathing exercise. Because the order never changes, a man always knows what comes next, which can steady a first-timer’s nerves.
What the research says about effort
That structure matters for a man who is wary of yoga. The class is judged on effort and consistency, not on how photogenic your pose looks. So how men view yoga often changes after a single class. Here is what the research says about the effort.
- Effort. A 2014 University of Wisconsin study (Porcari et al.) measured men burning about 460 calories in a 90-minute class, with heart rates around 80% of maximum.
- Breadth. A 2025 systematic review by Willmott and colleagues pooled 43 studies and 942 participants. It reported benefits for flexibility and well-being from hot yoga.
- Mood. A 2023 trial in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that 59.3% of the heated yoga group had their depression symptoms fall by half or more, against 6.3% on the waitlist.
What the research can and can’t tell you
Be careful with that last result. The Nyer et al. trial analysed 65 adults, and 81.5% of them were women. That leaves roughly one in five participants who were men, and the results weren’t reported by sex. It’s promising evidence, not a promise.
Heat is also a real load, so respect it. Anyone with a heart condition, high blood pressure or another medical issue should speak to a doctor first. 19% of our male applicants disclose a condition or medication, most often high blood pressure, so we say this often. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting heated practice.
In practice, men report two things most: the class is harder than they expected, and they can track progress. A man who couldn’t touch his knees in week one can see the change by week four.
As a result, many of them keep coming back, because the gain is visible. If you want the wider case, our guide to the benefits of yoga for men sets out the evidence in full.
Why More Men Are Signing Up to Teach It
This is the part that surprised us, because it turns how men view yoga into action. Every applicant to a YogaFX teacher training fills in an enrolment form, and those forms show a clear shift. In 2021, men were 7% of applicants. In 2022, they were 28%, the highest share we’ve recorded.
| Year | Male share of applicants | Men out of all applicants |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7% | 1 of 14 |
| 2022 | 28% | 10 of 36 |
| 2023 | 23% | 12 of 52 |
| 2024 | 25% | 17 of 68 |
| 2025 | 13% | 4 of 30 |
The numbers are small, so a handful of people moves a percentage by several points. The 2025 figure of 13% comes from just 30 applicants, so it proves little on its own. The honest reading is a step change in 2022 that held for three years. Our report on how many men do yoga sets out the sample sizes and method.
Who the men are
The typical male applicant is not a young gym enthusiast. The median is 44 years old, and 68% are 40 or over. 83% already practise Hot 26&2, so they’ve done the class and want more. Only 41% rate their own fitness as good, against 55% of the women who apply.
Why they apply
Men and women give different reasons. Wanting to teach or share the practice is the most common reason for both, at 59% of men and 69% of women. The differences sit underneath:
- Their own practice. 34% of men want to improve their own postures, against 20% of women.
- Mr Ian himself. 29% of men name him as a reason, against 20% of women.
- A career change. 10% of men describe one, against 5% of women.
- The short format. Only 5% of men name it, against 24% of women.
That last line is telling. Men aren’t buying six days. Instead, they are buying what the six days certify. One male applicant put his own goal plainly: “Want to get more guys into yoga.”
What Trainees Say After the Course
Numbers show who applies. Reviews show what happens next, and how men view yoga after the course. We drew three from our review store, and not all of them come from men. They do show how the doubts above turn into confidence.
Was it challenging? – 100%. Would I take another course with Mr. Ian? – 1000%.
Alena, Google review, 2025
Some trainees arrive unsure about teaching at all, for example Anita. In a YouTube review from 2025, she said she came to deepen her practice and wasn’t sure she wanted to teach. By the end of the course she could see herself teaching. That shift is common in our graduate stories.
It’s a true joy but it’s been humbling experience. Absolutely loving him for pushing me.
Peter, YouTube review, 2026
Peter’s review is short, but it captures a common thread. The class humbles you first, and then it rewards you, so the effort feels worth it. You can watch the full video below.
What Teaching Gives a Man That Practising Alone Doesn’t
Practice builds the body. Teaching builds something else, and it changes how men view yoga from the inside. A man who trains to teach has to learn the full dialogue, deliver it to a room and correct other bodies. That asks for more discipline, but it gives more back, for example in confidence.
- A role model effect. Every man who qualifies makes it easier for the next man to walk in. Our applicants say it themselves.
- A new path. One aspiring doctor wrote that, rather than prescribing pills, he wanted to teach yoga to help healing and prevent injury.
- A measurable standard. The sequence is fixed, so a teacher knows exactly what good looks like.
Mr Ian is Master Trainer of the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation. Arkan Fauzan Riyanto, a 2022 YogaFX graduate, won two silver and three bronze medals at the 2026 World Yogasana Sports Federation Championships in Ahmedabad. Men can see where this path leads.
How to Start If You’re Still Unsure
You don’t need to decide about teaching to test the practice, and your view of yoga can change after one class. These steps work for most men who feel unsure:
- Book one class and say you’re new. Tell the teacher at the door, so they can watch your form.
- Go three times before you judge. The first class is usually the hardest.
- Bring water and a towel. Heat is a real load, so drink steadily before and after.
- Check your health first. See a doctor if you have blood pressure, heart or other concerns.
- Track one posture. Pick a posture you can’t do yet, and note it each week.
If you want a closer look at the first class from a man’s point of view, read what male applicants tell us about hot yoga. Once you feel ready to go further, the next step is a conversation with the team.
Train to Teach With Mr Ian in Bali
The best answer to how men view yoga is a first-hand one, and that is why YogaFX runs a 6-day hybrid Hot 26&2 teacher training. You study online first, then train in Bali. The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 and checks out on Friday 29 January 2027, at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak.
You graduate with two certificates: Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour and the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification. The Early Bird price is US$1,899, against a normal price of US$1,999. Teachers who already hold a certificate can ask the team about the YACEP option. Our men’s yoga teacher training page explains what male trainees can expect, and the 26 and 2 yoga teacher training page covers the full programme.
FAQ
Why don’t men do yoga?
Many men see yoga as a women’s activity, worry about looking stiff, or assume it won’t challenge them. In the United States, 10.3% of men practised yoga in 2022 against 23.3% of women. Men who try a hot class often change their minds quickly.
How do men view yoga compared with women?
Men are less likely to practise, with 10.3% of American men doing yoga in 2022 against 23.3% of women. Yet the reasons match closely. About 80% of both groups practise to restore overall health. How men view yoga often improves once they try a structured class.
Is yoga for men?
Yes. Men who practise report the same main goal as women: restoring overall health, at 79.6% against 80.2% in the CDC’s 2022 data. Men were also slightly more likely to practise to manage pain. Hot 26&2 adds structure, heat and effort that many men find motivating.
Why are more men becoming yoga teachers?
In YogaFX enrolment forms, the male share of teacher training applicants rose from 7% in 2021 to 28% in 2022. Men often cite improving their own practice, career change and Mr Ian Terry. Most male applicants already practise Hot 26&2 before they apply.
Is hot yoga good for men?
A 2014 University of Wisconsin study measured men burning about 460 calories in a 90-minute hot class, with heart rates near 80% of maximum. Heat is a real load, so men with medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional before starting.
Can a beginner man train to teach hot yoga?
Most male applicants to YogaFX already practise Hot 26&2, with 83% reporting an existing practice. Beginners can attend classes first and then decide. Past trainees advise preparing the dialogue in advance, because the course moves quickly.
Still have questions? Message Mr Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp to enrol or ask and we will answer them personally.
