Yoga is mostly about increasing flexibility but still, people who do yoga need to warm up. This is specifically important for men who tend to be tighter and need enough time to prepare their bodies before each yoga class. It is also vital for men to have a proper warm-up so as not to force themselves into deep stretches before they do yoga.

Here are 5 yoga warm-up poses men should start doing today.

Side Angle
The side angle pose opens your shoulders, low and mid-back, and neck while strengthening your legs. It extends the sides of your torso and assists in maintaining a neutral pelvis and back. This is essential for doing poses like cobra and up-dog, where men are prone to compress their low back early on during yoga class.

Pigeon Thigh Stretch
Hips and quads are the two tightest muscles for men. Most yoga poses that are practiced at the start of a class need both strength and movement in these areas. In this pose, you get a great hip-opener at your front leg while stretching your quad at the back leg. When the legs are tight, it produces more torque on your ankles, knees, hips, thighs, and IT bands. Perform this pose during your warm-up so you can move more fluidly and bypass pain.

Down Dog
Most men have tighter hamstrings. In the down dog position, you set your thighs into your hip sockets evenly, which allows you to achieve a strong arch in your low back. This pose is also good with tight shoulders because your arms are stretching overhead and your shoulders are rotating out while you are carrying weight on your hands. Practicing this position is a very effective way to help you move easefully throughout your class.

Pyramid
The pyramid pose makes you stretch all of your hamstrings evenly. The asymmetrical nature of this forward fold also gives a slight twist, which opens up your hips. It concentrates on each leg separately to go deeper into the stretch. Often, men will have discrepancies between their legs, and this will help balance them by isolating each side.

Camel
Most men who decide to do yoga have a slouched posture which leads to neck pain and an immobile back. When doing this pose, lengthens your spine and opens your shoulders, chest, and your upper back. This pose will help you achieve a better posture, allowing you to breathe easily and giving you strength.