American men are facing a problem, but not many are talking about it. If you are facing low testosterone, you aren’t alone. The testosterone levels in American men dropped by 1% every year from 1980 to 2002.
Despite this study being over a decade old, experts believe this trend has only worsened. This is because the contributing factors for the drop have only increased since the study.
If you face dropping T levels, you may be looking for ways to naturally address the issue. One way is to use yoga to increase testosterone.
Keep reading for the best yoga poses for increasing your testosterone.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone
For many men, their symptoms of low testosterone go unnoticed or misdiagnosed. Your general physician may overlook the signs and not consider low T as the reason for your symptoms.
By knowing the symptoms, you can keep an eye out for them and act quickly. Tackling the problem head-on is the best way to see results quickly.
- Depression
- Lack of energy
- Lowered libido
- Poor Sleep
- Decreased muscles and strength
- Weight gain
- Lack of focus and trouble concentrating
The trouble with these symptoms is that they sound like normal things that happen in life. The good news is that yoga can help with these symptoms, whether they are from low T or not.
How Yoga Increases Testosterone
Sure, here in America, yoga is dominated by women. However, this isn’t how yoga started. Yoga began as something exclusively practiced by men so they could sharpen their body and mind.
The primary way that yoga boosts testosterone is by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. This is how yoga helps you to let go of stress and relax.
When this system gets stimulated, the levels of the stress hormone cortisol will decrease. Your body will respond to the decrease in stress hormone by increasing your sex hormone, which is testosterone.
With that, technically doing any yoga pose will achieve this. However, some poses will have a more significant effect and be more successful at your end goal.
So let’s get started with the poses that are going to help with your low testosterone. If you find that these poses are too advanced and you struggle to do them correctly, you may want to start with some beginner poses.
This will help get your body moving and flexing in the way you need to accomplish these poses.
1. The Cobra
This pose is known for raising testosterone levels in men after they perform it for two to three minutes. To get this benefit yourself start on your hands and knees.
Keep your hands and arms shoulder-width apart. Keep your knees almost together. Now lower your legs and waist to the floor, so your legs are straight out behind you. Keep your upper body elevated.
Look straight up while extending your arms to the floor. Keep your arms angled towards you. If you have neck problems and can’t look straight up then only look as far as what is comfortable.
This pose is proven to increase testosterone in men by 16% if they do this pose regularly. It was also found that this pose lowered cortisol levels.
2. Full Lotus
This is the pose most people think of when they think about yoga. This iconic pose is actually good for your low T levels.
This pose is going to require work and build up. Practice the butterfly pose until you are flexible enough to accomplish this one.
The full lotus requires you to sit on the floor with your legs straight and your arms at your side. Put your right ankle in your left thigh crease.
Then put your left ankle in your right thigh crease.ย Rest your hands on your knees with your palms facing upward.
To work your way up to this, you can do the butterfly pose by sitting on the floor and putting the soles of your feet together.
When you do this pose, you open your hips and flex your joints. This helps keep you limber and lowers your risk of injury.
3. Plow Pose
The plow pose is an inverted pose. Start by laying flat on your back with your arms at your side.
Now bring your legs up and towards your upper body. Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor. Then extend your legs straight down until your toes touch the floor above your head.
This pose will not only increase your testosterone but also boost your mood, increase your calmness and energy levels. Yoga enthusiasts believe that any pose that reduces stress has a waterfall of positive side effects.
Part of this is the increase in testosterone and other hormonal benefits.
4. Locust Pose
This pose helps with more than low T. It can also help improve prostate health and erectile dysfunction. This pose looks simple, but it requires a lot of core strength, which is good since a strong core is one of the best methods to combat low T.
Start by laying flat on the floor on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Keep your legs hip-width apart and straight. You don’t want your ankles to roll inward or outward.
Inhale and lift your head off the floor. Exhale and lift your arms over your head and raise your feet.ย This is the beginner locust pose.
To do a full locust, continue to raise your upper body, so you lift your upper spine. Extend your arms out to your sides and back so that you look a bit like a bird trying to fly.
Another significant benefit of this pose is that it improves prostate health. Since declining levels of testosterone are known to affect prostate health negatively, this pose is essential.
5. Supine Spinal Twist
This is one of the more comfortable poses that lets you lay on the floor. Start by laying on the floor on your back. Bend your right knee, so your thigh is perpendicular with the floor.
Now lay your right leg over your left while keeping your knee bent. You can hold your knee in the proper place with your left hand. Extend your right arm straight out from your body.
You should then switch sides and do the same stretch to your left leg.
This pose will alleviate your stress and stimulate your internal and endocrine organs.
6. Shoulder Stand
This pose is not as difficult as the name makes it sound. Start by laying flat on your back with your arms by your sides. Then raise your legs straight up.
Keep lifting, so your hips rise off the floor also. You will keep moving upward until your entire body is perpendicular to the floor. Only your head, shoulders, and upper arms should be supporting your body.
You can put your hands on your lower back to support yourself. If you struggle with neck problems, then put something under your shoulders when you do this pose. You could use a small pillow or a rolled up blanket.
Researchers believe that doing this pose will help with male reproductive health. Since this is closely connected to testosterone levels, it is a key pose to do.
7. Wheel Pose
This one is going to be one of the most challenging on this list. If you are new to yoga, you may need to work your way up to this pose.
The purpose of this pose is to stimulate your reproductive organs and boost your energy levels. It also strengthens and lengthens your vertebrae. Doing this will increase the flexibility of your back.
That means you’re increasing your testosterone and helping your sore back all in one.
To do this pose, start by laying on your back. Bend your knees up and slide your feet flat on the floor towards your bum. Bring your feet all the way up so that your fingertips graze your heels.
Now ground your feet and place your hands on either side of your head with your fingers pointing down towards your shoulders.
Lift your hips upward until you back begins to arch. Once you are fully arched, think about opening your hips and elongating your arms. Hold this position for as long as you can and then come back down.
8. Head Stand
This pose is considered the key to poses by yoga experts because it has so many benefits. First, it gives your heart a break since it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood to your upper body.
It is also a full upper and mid-body workout. It will strengthen your arms, shoulders, and core.
Enthusiasts believe that it will calm your brain and thereby relieve stress and mild depression. Both of these are associated with low T.ย It will also stimulate your digestion and reproductive organs.
This pose will take some practice, and it is best to start with the shoulder stand we mentioned earlier.
To do this pose place your head on the ground and plant your forearms on either side about shoulder width apart. Make your torso perpendicular to the floor and legs straight.
Walk your feet closer to your elbows and then lift your heels one at a time to meet your butt. When you feel stable, you are ready to straighten your legs towards the sky.
9. Bow Pose
This is an intermediate yoga backbend pose. It is a good place to start if you aren’t ready to do the wheel.
This pose will stretch your entire body while also strengthening your core and all of the muscles in your back. You will also notice that it improves your posture and spinal flexibility.
This pose puts pressure on your abdomen, which will stimulate your digestion and reproductive organs.ย You should also feel relief from stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
To do this pose start by laying on your stomach. Bend your knees and bring your feet up and as close to your butt as possible. Now reach back and hold onto the outside of your ankles.
You’ll then want to lift your heels towards the ceiling, so your thighs come off of the mat. At the same time, you will raise your head, shoulders, and upper torso off of the floor too.
The goal is to lift your entire upper body off the floor so that you are only resting on your hips.
10. Power Poses
This isn’t one specific pose, but a classification of them. This is any pose that requires you to stand tall and take up more space.
These poses will give you confidence, make you feel stronger, and give you a sense of control. All of these things will help to mentally get you in the right place, which will ultimately boost your testosterone.
One pose that falls into this category is theย Viramudra, where you stand like a superhero. It’s straightforward to do, stand tall, feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Expand your chest and look up to the sky while channeling your inner Superman.
Another good pose is theย Jayamudra, or victory pose. Spread your feet wide and squat down until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle. Keep your upper body straight up.
Then extend your arms straight out to the side and bend your elbows to a ninety-degree angle. Your hands should be on either side of your head.
Consider Yoga to Increase Testosterone
You don’t have to accept your low testosterone. You can do more than take prescribed medication. Consider doingย yoga to increase testosterone as a natural way to change your body.
By doing yoga, you will not only increase your testosterone, but you will also give your body plenty of other benefits. These include less stress, better organ function, and increased flexibility.
Schedule an appointment with us today and let us help you live a more powerful life.
