“Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men
Yoga is a holistic form of physical activity taken up for various reasons, including physical and mental health, and sometimes spirituality. Despite the growing popularity of yoga as a form of health-enhancing physical activity, data show the uptake among men to be consistently low compared to women...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2024-11-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883241298663 |
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| _version_ | 1846161364803911680 |
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| author | Jonathan Y. Cagas Stuart J. H. Biddle Oscar Castro Ineke Vergeer |
| author_facet | Jonathan Y. Cagas Stuart J. H. Biddle Oscar Castro Ineke Vergeer |
| author_sort | Jonathan Y. Cagas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Yoga is a holistic form of physical activity taken up for various reasons, including physical and mental health, and sometimes spirituality. Despite the growing popularity of yoga as a form of health-enhancing physical activity, data show the uptake among men to be consistently low compared to women. To gain an understanding of barriers and facilitators for yoga uptake and adherence among men, four focus group discussions (three male groups, one female group) and three individual interviews were undertaken. Using thematic analysis, three themes were developed: (a) encouragement, advice, and support from trusted others, (b) confronting gender-related perceptions and issues, and (c) getting to the benefits. The findings suggest that men are more likely to take up yoga when encouraged by trusted others and male role models. Men face gender-related challenges that can be overcome by educating them about yoga, focusing on its physical benefits, and experiencing the benefits of yoga firsthand. To encourage more men into yoga, yoga teachers need to create an inclusive environment that welcomes men and caters to their needs. These findings provide valuable insight into the unique challenges experienced by men in pursuing and practicing yoga regularly. They may be used to develop targeted recruitment and marketing strategies to draw more men into yoga and encourage them to stay, which is essential for experiencing the many long-term health benefits of yoga. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ad7a1f8b32f41f0bde325a49a1bfe0e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ad7a1f8b32f41f0bde325a49a1bfe0e2024-11-21T09:03:29ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912024-11-011810.1177/15579883241298663“Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among MenJonathan Y. Cagas0Stuart J. H. Biddle1Oscar Castro2Ineke Vergeer3Department of Human Kinetics, University of the Philippines Mindanao, Davao City, PhilippinesPhysically Active Lifestyles Research Group, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, Queensland, AustraliaFuture Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, SingaporePhysically Active Lifestyles Research Group, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, Queensland, AustraliaYoga is a holistic form of physical activity taken up for various reasons, including physical and mental health, and sometimes spirituality. Despite the growing popularity of yoga as a form of health-enhancing physical activity, data show the uptake among men to be consistently low compared to women. To gain an understanding of barriers and facilitators for yoga uptake and adherence among men, four focus group discussions (three male groups, one female group) and three individual interviews were undertaken. Using thematic analysis, three themes were developed: (a) encouragement, advice, and support from trusted others, (b) confronting gender-related perceptions and issues, and (c) getting to the benefits. The findings suggest that men are more likely to take up yoga when encouraged by trusted others and male role models. Men face gender-related challenges that can be overcome by educating them about yoga, focusing on its physical benefits, and experiencing the benefits of yoga firsthand. To encourage more men into yoga, yoga teachers need to create an inclusive environment that welcomes men and caters to their needs. These findings provide valuable insight into the unique challenges experienced by men in pursuing and practicing yoga regularly. They may be used to develop targeted recruitment and marketing strategies to draw more men into yoga and encourage them to stay, which is essential for experiencing the many long-term health benefits of yoga.https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883241298663 |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan Y. Cagas Stuart J. H. Biddle Oscar Castro Ineke Vergeer “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men |
| title_full | “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men |
| title_fullStr | “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men |
| title_short | “Men Need Role Models”: Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers for Yoga Participation Among Men |
| title_sort | men need role models exploring the facilitators and barriers for yoga participation among men |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883241298663 |
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