Can men do hot yoga? Yes. Any man can join a hot yoga class, whatever his age, size or flexibility. There is no rule, test or minimum fitness level. The practice is the same 26 postures for everyone, and you work at your own range. In fact, men made up 28% of our teacher training applicants in 2022.
So the real question is not whether men are allowed in. It is whether you, with your body and your health history, can start this week. This guide answers that directly. It covers what a man needs to know before his first class, who should see a doctor first, and what the research actually measured in men.
Can Men Do Hot Yoga? The Short Answer Is Yes
Men ask “can men do hot yoga?” quietly, often in a search bar before they ever ask a friend. That makes sense, because most yoga marketing shows women. Yet nothing in a hot yoga class is designed for one sex. The heat, the sequence and the teacher’s words are the same for every person in the room.
At our studios in Seminyak and Canggu, Bali, a class is the Original Hot 26&2 sequence. It lasts 90 minutes in natural tropical heat of about 40°C and 40% humidity, with no electric heaters. A teacher guides you through 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises with a spoken dialogue. There is no music and no demonstration, so nobody is watching you perform.
Four reasons men think they can’t, and the honest answers
That format removes most of the reasons men give for staying away. Here are the four we hear most, and the plain answer to each:
- “I can’t touch my toes.” Flexibility is a result of practice, not an entry ticket. The heat helps muscles lengthen, and you stop at the point that feels like work, not pain.
- “I’m not fit enough.” You can lie down at any point. Many beginners rest through several postures in their first week, and that is normal.
- “I’ll be the only guy.” Men are a minority in most yoga rooms, but rarely alone. In our own intake, about one applicant in four was a man from 2022 to 2024.
- “It isn’t a real workout.” Researchers have measured heart rate and calorie burn in men during a 90-minute class. The numbers, covered below, look a lot like a hard cardio session.
So, can men go to hot yoga without feeling out of place? In our experience, yes. Can men do hot yoga well from the very first week? Also yes, as long as they pace it. The men who struggle most are not the stiff ones. They are the ones who try to win the class on day one.
The Proof: 28% of Our 2022 Applicants Were Men
Every person who applies to a YogaFX teacher training fills in an enrolment form. We counted those forms by year. As a result, we can answer “can men do hot yoga?” with numbers rather than opinion. In 2021, only 1 of 14 applicants was a man, or 7%. In 2022, it was 10 of 36, or 28%.
That jump did not vanish the next year. The male share held at 23% in 2023 (12 of 52) and 25% in 2024 (17 of 68). It fell back to 13% in 2025, with 4 men out of 30 applicants. Because our intakes are small, a handful of people can move the share by several points. Even so, 2025 still sits close to double the 2021 level.
Who the men in our room actually are
These are not curious first-timers, either. The median male applicant is 44, and most already practise the sequence before they apply. More than half of the men say they want to teach or share the practice. If you want the full method, sample sizes and limits, our report on how many men do yoga sets them out year by year.
For a man still asking “can men do hot yoga?”, the takeaway is simple. Men in their forties, many of them stiff and unsure of their fitness, are already doing this. Some of them now teach it.
Can men do hot yoga? The evidence in five numbers
28%
Men among 2022 applicants
10 of 36 enrolment forms, up from 7% in 2021.
20%
Back-of-body strength gain
Posterior chain strength after eight weeks of practice.
59%
Halved depression symptoms
Heated yoga group, eight weeks, against 6% on the waitlist.
43
Studies reviewed
942 people in a 2025 systematic review of hot yoga.
1,500+
Graduates since 2017
Trained by Mr. Ian Terry, from more than 80 countries.
Can You Start This Week? A Readiness Check for Men
“Can men do hot yoga?” has a general answer. Your own answer depends on your situation. Most men can book a class today, while a few should speak to a doctor first. This table sorts the common cases, so you can find yours quickly.
| Your situation | Can you start? | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Desk job, no yoga background | Yes | Book two classes in week one and rest whenever you need to. |
| You lift weights and have stiff hamstrings | Yes | Work at about 80% of your range. Range comes back with practice. |
| Runner, cyclist or team-sport player | Yes | Put hot classes on easy training days, not straight after a long session. |
| Over 50 and otherwise healthy | Yes | Start with two classes a week and tell the teacher it is your first time. |
| Blood pressure treated with medication | Usually, after medical advice | Ask your doctor how heat interacts with your medication before you book. |
| Heart condition, fainting or past heat illness | Not without medical clearance | Get clearance from your doctor first, then start with short, easy classes. |
| Recent surgery or a new injury | Wait | Return once your doctor or physiotherapist says the area can load again. |
| You and your partner are trying for a baby | Yes, with a caveat | Read the fertility section below and discuss timing with your doctor. |
If you take blood pressure medication
One row deserves extra attention. On our own forms, about one man in five mentions a medical condition or medication, most often high blood pressure. That is not a reason to stay home. Instead, it is a reason to ask one sensible question before your first class.
Please consult a healthcare professional before hot yoga if any of the cautious rows apply to you. This article is general information, not medical advice.
What the Research Measured in Men
Most hot yoga studies mix men and women. A few report men separately, though. Those are the studies that answer “can men do hot yoga?”, and “is hot yoga for guys?”, with data instead of opinion.
Heart rate and calories
A 2014 University of Wisconsin study by Porcari and colleagues measured a 90-minute Bikram-style class. Men burned about 460 kcal on average, against about 333 kcal for women. Body size explains much of that gap, since a larger body works harder to hold the same posture.
A follow-up study by Quandt, Porcari and colleagues looked at heart rate and core temperature in 7 men and 13 women. According to the American Council on Exercise summary of that research, men averaged about 80% of predicted maximum heart rate across the class, peaking at 92%. Women averaged about 72%.
Core temperature: why men should pace themselves
The same study found men’s highest core temperature averaged 103.2°F, against 102.0°F for women, in a room at 105°F. In other words, men tend to run hotter in the room. That is the main reason we ask new male students to take the first ten minutes gently. So yes, men can do hot yoga safely, but they should respect the heat.
Strength, flexibility and mood
- Strength. Tracy and Hart’s 2013 trial in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported about a 20% gain in posterior chain strength, with better flexibility and body composition.
- The wider picture. A 2025 systematic review by Willmott and colleagues in Sports Medicine – Open pooled 43 studies and 942 participants. It found signs of benefit for flexibility, bone density and well-being.
- Anxiety. Hui and colleagues reported in 2022 that hot yoga reduced state anxiety, the short-term feeling of stress.
- Mood. In an eight-week trial at Massachusetts General Hospital, 59% of the heated yoga group cut their depression symptoms by half or more, against 6% on the waitlist.
The mood trial is worth a closer look, because men rarely talk about this side of training. Classes ran in a room heated to 105°F, and about one participant in five was a man. Results were not split by sex. Still, it suggests the benefit is not only physical. If low mood is part of why you are reading this, keep your doctor in the loop as you start.
Is Hot Yoga Bad for Men? Heat, Heart and Fertility
Search for this topic and two worries come up again and again: the heart and male fertility. Both are fair questions for anyone asking whether men can do hot yoga safely, and both have honest answers.
The heart
Heat raises your heart rate before you move much, as the figures above show. So can men do hot yoga with a healthy heart? Yes, because for a healthy man that load is similar to steady cardio. For a man with heart disease or poorly controlled blood pressure, however, it is a real strain. That is why the readiness table asks those men to get medical clearance first.
Fertility
No study has measured sperm quality after hot yoga. The closest evidence comes from saunas, which are far hotter. In a 2013 study in Human Reproduction, Garolla and colleagues followed 10 healthy men who used a Finnish sauna at 80 to 90°C for 15 minutes, twice a week, for three months.
Their sperm count and motility dropped during the sauna period. However, the effects were completely reversed six months after the men stopped. A hot yoga room sits near 40°C, well below a sauna, so the study does not transfer directly. If you and your partner are trying to conceive, simply mention your practice to your doctor and plan around it.
Whatever your situation, stop and lie down in class if you feel dizzy, sick, confused or short of breath. Leave the room if it does not pass. Our teachers would much rather see you rest than push through.
Your First Two Weeks: How Men Usually Progress
Knowing the answer to “can men do hot yoga?” is one thing. Knowing what the first few classes feel like makes it far easier to keep going. Mr. Ian Terry has more than 12,000 teaching hours in the hot room, and the pattern he sees in male beginners is remarkably steady.
- Class one: survival. The heat hits hard in the first standing postures. Most men find the balances and back bends hardest, because tight hips and a stiff chest show up straight away.
- Classes two to four: the heat settles. Your body starts to cope better with the room. You sweat as much, but you panic less, and you stay in more postures.
- Classes five to eight: you start listening. Instead of watching the clock, you begin to follow the dialogue. Small changes appear, such as a forward fold that reaches a little further.
- Classes nine and ten: a routine. By now most men know whether the practice fits their week. Many find it becomes the session they look forward to, rather than the one they dread.
Habits that make the first ten classes easier
A few habits make that progress smoother. For example, drink steadily through the day before class, rather than a litre at the door. Eat lightly two to three hours earlier. Wear fitted shorts, because loose ones ride up in every squat.
Most of all, leave your ego in the changing room. Mr. Ian’s advice to new male students is to rest early rather than late. The heat rewards patience, not force.
What Our Trainees Say After the Hot Room
Statistics help, but real voices often settle “can men do hot yoga?” for good. These short extracts come from video reviews filmed at graduation, quoted from the recordings. As a result, you hear how the week felt in the trainees’ own words.
“I want to be a big teacher because if we do Bikram yoga then we can build a community, a positive community.”
David, YouTube review, 2026
“Coming here was solely for my personal benefit and my personal growth, and a challenge for me… maybe I do actually want to teach.”
Bronte, YouTube review, 2025
“She’s the one that taught me not to give up and I don’t give up because of her… We’re already talking about opening a studio in Jakarta.”
Ferra, YouTube review, 2026
David’s story is a good answer to anyone still asking “can men do hot yoga?” Mr. Ian called him up at graduation as a “big guy” who did a great job. He finished the week wanting to teach. You can watch his full graduation moment below.
From Your First Class to Teaching With YogaFX
For some men, the answer to “can men do hot yoga?” turns into a bigger question: could I teach it? Our male applicants mention a career change about twice as often as women do. Several plan to open studios of their own.
Our Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass is a six-day hybrid course. You study online first, then join an intensive in Bali. You graduate with two credentials: Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour and the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
Who teaches the course
Mr. Ian Terry leads every course. He is an E-RYT 500 with more than 12,000 teaching hours, and he trained for five years, from 2014 to 2019, with Bikram Choudhury, the founder of the method. He is also a Master Trainer for the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation. Since 2017, more than 1,500 graduates from over 80 countries have trained with him.
Dates, price and how to apply
The next batch checks in on Sunday 24 January 2027 at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak and finishes on Friday 29 January 2027. The Early Bird price is US$1,899, against the normal US$1,999. Interest-free payment plans start from US$250 a month.
There is no audition and no advanced posture requirement. Our step-by-step guide on how to apply for teacher training in Bali walks through the form, the call with Mr. Ian and your place. If you want to see how the online and Bali parts fit together, read about the six-day hybrid format.
Still asking “can men do hot yoga, and is it worth it for my body?” Our guide to the measured benefits of hot yoga for men goes study by study. For a profile of the men who apply, see what our male applicants tell us.
FAQ
Should men do hot yoga?
Yes, most healthy men should try it. Studies report gains in strength, flexibility and mood, and men in one study averaged about 80% of predicted maximum heart rate per class. It suits men who sit a lot, lift weights or want a calmer mind. Check with a doctor first if you have heart problems.
Is hot yoga bad for men?
Not for most healthy men. The main risks are overheating and dehydration, and men run slightly hotter in the room than women. No study has measured sperm after hot yoga; sauna research found temporary changes that fully reversed. Pace yourself, drink through the day, and get medical advice if you have a heart condition.
Is hot yoga bad for your heart?
For a healthy heart, hot yoga works much like steady cardio, because the heat lifts your heart rate. It can be a real strain if you have heart disease, poorly controlled blood pressure or a history of fainting. In those cases, get clearance from your doctor first, then start slowly and rest often.
How many times a week should a man do hot yoga?
Start with two classes a week for the first fortnight while your body adapts to the heat. After that, most men build to three classes a week, which matches what many hot yoga trials prescribed. Experienced students often practise more. Fit classes around hard training days rather than stacking them after a long run.
Can men do yoga in shorts?
Yes, and in hot yoga most men do. Choose fitted, quick-drying shorts that stay in place when you squat, fold and lie on your back. Loose or cotton shorts ride up and get heavy with sweat. A light top or no top is common, depending on the studio’s rules.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp to enrol or ask, and we will answer personally. Tell us your age, your training week and any health concerns, and we will tell you honestly whether hot yoga, or our teacher training, fits you.
