The Ideal Yoga Clothes for Men

In addition to the countless physical and mental benefits of yoga, another reason this ancient practice remains popular among men is that it has a no-fuss approach to keeping the body physically fit. No need to buy weights or any fitness machines, unlike with other fitness workouts. Yoga continually grows in popularity among men; so much so that there are now many stores that specialize in men’s yoga clothing. Here are some tips and information on buying yoga clothes for men.

Yoga Tops: Shirts and Tanks

Women generally have more options when it comes to clothes, but the styles and designs offered for men’s yoga clothes are not that far off. Hundreds of stores, both retail and online, offer a wide variety of options for yoga clothing tops for men. Sleeveless tops or tanks are the most popular choices for clothing tops because they are comfortable and airy, thus helping you cool down faster as you progress through your yoga workout. Tanks also allow a wide range of movement for your arms and torso, making it easier to bend and twist your way through different yoga poses.

But for those who are not that comfortable wearing sleeveless tops, or tend to sweat a lot, you can always go for slightly loose cotton shirts which do a great job at absorbing sweat. Men tend to sweat more than women, so sweat absorption capacity is an important factor to consider when buying yoga clothes. Yoga mats are typically sticky and slip-resistant, but there is still a possibility of slipping if your non-textured yoga mat is covered in sweat.

Yoga Bottoms: Shorts and Pants

It all boils down to preference and comfort when it comes to shopping for yoga clothing bottoms. Some men prefer to wear shorts because it’s cooler (as in physically, not fashionably) and more comfortable to wear especially if they are doing Hot Yoga or vigorous styles of yoga exercise like Ashtanga or Power Yoga. If you prefer wearing shorts, get those that not only can absorb sweat, but also has enough stretch in them so your leg movements are not restricted.

Another option is to go for yoga pants, which come in different styles and composition. There are yoga pants made of cotton, a combination of lycra and cotton, and hemp. Long and loose pants made of hemp are more recommended for intermediate to advanced users, who have already gotten the hang of transitioning quickly between poses without risking tripping over loose cloth. Wide-legged pants would also make it harder for your instructor to check your body’s alignment especially if you are just starting to learn yoga.

If you are not comfortable wearing shorts, but also don’t want to wear long pants, you can always go for something in between — and that is cropped or capri-style yoga pants. Cropped pants made of cotton or hemp are among the most popular choices and are ideal for yoga students of all levels.

Tips and Recommendations

The only difference between your typical workout clothes (say, for lifting weights at the gym or running) and yoga clothes is that the latter requires more freedom in movement and stretch in the material. Yoga poses involve a lot of bending, stretching, and twisting, so you have to choose clothes made of material that will let you do all this. They also have to be comfortable enough that you can sit through meditation sequences.

So in a nutshell, your choices of yoga clothes should be comfortable, stretchable, sweat-absorbent, and neither too loose nor too tight. Even if you have a bigger body frame, this is no excuse to wear baggy clothes when doing yoga exercises. Men’s yoga clothes come in a wide range of sizes, including plus size, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find workout threads that will fit just right.