Photo: Photodisc

As we know, your guy doesn’t always know what’s good for him. If he resists your not-so-subtle suggestions to try yoga, try these tips to get him on the mat. Once you get him there, we have a feeling he’ll keep coming back for more.

1. “Carmelo Anthony does yoga.”
Sometimes men need a little proof that yoga isn’t just for women and new age wimps. Tell him super-jock Anthony is a mat man; in fact, his entire Denver Nuggets team (we’re talking pro basketball, in case you’re not up on this) practices together with a private teacher. So do the Tennessee Titans (pro football), as well as college sports teams at Georgia Tech and the University of Colorado. The NBA’s Kevin Garnett is another good name to drop, along with hockey’s Sean Burke, and too many PGA golfers to mention.  

2. “You can’t handle it.”
Watch his competitiveness—and manly  instinct to prove you wrong—kick in. Chances are he’ll leave his first class sore and sheepish. But like most men who want a challenge, he’ll keep coming back so he can be the best in the class.

3. “Yoga rips abs better than crunches.’’
It’s still true: The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Guys covet the six-pack, and yoga delivers core strength and definition to drool for. Of course, as the one already doing yoga, you’ll need to have an impressive midsection for this claim to hold water, so get busy with the Boat Pose.

4. “It will improve our sex life.”
Innocently drop a copy of the illustrated Kama Sutra around the house to give him some exotic ideas, then invite him to join you at the studio. The stretching will limber you up, making it that much easier to get into some of the raunchier positions. And right after class, when you are both relaxed, sweaty—not to mention horny—you’ll be ready to make those pictures come alive.

5. “You’ll be a better athlete.”
Your man will be shocked at how much he can boost his endurance, flexibility, balance and strength with a little yoga on top of his regular workout activities. That can mean winning his regular YMCA basketball game instead of losing (and you know how he hates that). Plus yoga keeps muscles and joints supple and strong, translates into fewer sports injuries and, when they do happen, faster healing. And increased blood flow means his muscles will recover more quickly between regular workouts, especially weight-lifting sessions.
 
6. “I think my instructor is coming on to me.”
Trust us—nothing will get him off the couch and into the studio faster.



For more tips on how to convince your man he needs mat time, look for the advice from expert teacher Baron Baptiste in the new issue of YogaLife on newsstands now. Click Here to subscribe today.