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When it comes to fitness, men usually gravitate toward activities such as weight lifting, CrossFit, P90X, and sports. These are seen as more masculine routines to do. Don’t make the mistake, however, of dismissing other types simply because they are seen as feminine. Try out these three styles to improve your physical health and abilities even more.

Barre

Ballet is more than just graceful dancing. Ballet dancers have incredible strength, muscle tone, flexibility, agility, and body control—qualities all athletes need. Lucky for you, there is another route to take than having to wear a leotard and man-bun and learn intricate footwork. The alternative is barre classes.

Barre focuses on isometric movements that target multiple muscles simultaneously. The results are increased muscle strength and endurance, higher body awareness, and decreased risk of injury during workouts. Many studios are also adding compound movements to enhance functional strength and weight loss.

This isn’t a high-cardio workout, so don’t expect to feel exhausted and sweaty when done. This type of exercise is best if you want to learn to isolate muscles and have better mind-body connection. It’s supplementary to your other workouts for the most fine-tuned physique.

Yoga

Although yoga is extremely popular with young, hip females, it’s more than just a trend. Yoga is hard. It requires flexibility, balance, strength, focus, and deep breathing all at once. It not only comes with physical benefits, but also with mental and emotional ones. Yoga teaches you how to manage stress and how to be mindful of your body and spirit. Some of the things it can help with include:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• PTSD
• Chronic lower back pain (in terms of increased back function)
• Hangovers (by improving metabolism)
• Heart disease
• Mild to moderate asthma

Pilates

Pilates comprises low-impact flexibility, strength, and endurance movements that emphasize the abs, lower back, hips, and thighs. The smooth, continuous motions create a stronger core, which in turn leads to better balance, stability, and strength. Having a strong core prevents and treats back problems as well, which is especially beneficial to weight lifters.

Pilates can replace one of your strength training routines. It works out all muscles for a more balanced body. Like yoga, it teaches proper breathing, body alignment, and control. It can enhance your performance in other areas, such as sports, and help you recover from injuries.

Try Them Out!

If you want to switch up your current fitness regimen, consider one of these options. The good news is that you can find videos for all of them if you’d prefer to test them out privately first. Whether you end up doing them at home or at a studio, you may be pleasantly surprised by the results and find that you enjoy the exercises and that they’re not so “girly” after all.

Tags: barre, crossfit, flexibility, P90X, pilates, strength, yoga