Grumpy old men can do yoga
Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community.
Bad tempered, unapproachable and grumpy? Do you grumble incessantly about everything from other people’s driving to television programmes? Other times you can be almost normal, amusing even. In my experience, there may be two different answers to these questions – possibly ‘no’ from you, and ‘yes’ from your partner? I’ve taught a class called “Grumpies Yoga for Men” for a number of years and men usually end up in my class because their wives have made them go (no surprises there).
Although there are many factors that contribute to men becoming grumpy the main culprit is falling levels of testosterone combined with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Just like women during menopause, men are also experiencing shifting hormone levels but it is especially low testosterone that can significantly affect mood. Grumpy men tend bottle things up and from a health care perspective middle aged to older males tend to avoid the doctor’s office as much as possible, closely followed by a grouchy avoidance of all things yoga.
Yoga is certainly worth exploring for the many positive benefits it can deliver to men of a certain age. It’s a low-impact practice that strengthens core muscles, offers better balance and relieves stress. There is evidence that yoga improves prostate health and can raise testosterone levels by as much as 33 percent with regular practice. It’s not just the individual guy who will reap the benefits from a regular yoga practice but family, friends and colleagues too as they see a sunny smile returning.
Grumpy doesn’t have to be for life – see your doctor and get your testosterone levels checked, find a beginner’s yoga class or join me on YouTube and commit to a regular weekly yoga practice.
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