Yoga guide
Yoga suits older men well: it eases stiff hips, hamstrings and backs, trains balance and some strength, and can be done with a chair, blocks and a wall. Being stiff is a reason to start, not a reason to stay away. Most yoga research has been in women, and no trial has tested yoga in healthy older men alone, but trials in older adults found small gains in balance, flexibility and leg strength. Yoga doesn't treat the prostate, and it doesn't replace strength training for muscle and bone, so pair the two.
This guide covers what changes for men with age, what the trials show, yoga and weights, balance and falls, the prostate and the pelvic floor (including after prostate surgery and on hormone therapy), starting at 60, 70 or later, the poses to change, and the classes to follow. Our yoga for men, yoga over 50 and yoga for seniors guides cover the wider questions, and our yoga for an enlarged prostate guide goes deeper on the prostate.
Men who played sport when younger have taken up yoga "to restore the mobility and flexibility they once had", and big losses of hip and knee movement before 75 aren't a normal part of ageing. Yoga improved flexibility in older adults, and a chair, blocks, a strap and a wall make every pose reachable.
About 1 in 10 American men do yoga, against nearly 1 in 4 women, and 87% of UK practitioners surveyed were women. We found no yoga trial of balance, strength or falls in healthy older men; the evidence comes from mixed trials, mostly of women.
In people over 60, yoga improved balance, flexibility and leg strength against doing nothing, but mostly no more than other exercise, and the gains shrink once missing small studies are allowed for.
In their 70s, men lost leg strength almost twice as fast as women. Men aged 60 to 72 more than doubled their knee strength in 12 weeks of training. Yoga builds some strength; add a band or weights.
No trial shows yoga shrinks an enlarged prostate or eases urinary symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises are different: NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends supervised training after prostate surgery, and they cut dribbling after peeing in a small trial.
Becoming active between 40 and 61 went with a 35% lower risk of dying over the following years, similarly in men and women. Start with a gentle beginners' or chair class.
In the US in 2022, 10.3% of men did yoga against 23.3% of women, and 8.0% of people 65 and over. Men were more likely than women to use it for pain (31.8% against 27.5%). In a UK survey of 2,434 practitioners, 87% were women.
In 15 of 22 yoga trials in older adults, more than 70% of the volunteers were women; the UK chair yoga trial was 61% women, and a yoga trial for a rounded upper back about 81%. US health advice notes that most yoga research has been in women. That says more about who signs up than about who benefits.
In interviews, men named two barriers: preferring other exercise, and "perception of yoga as feminine". Men are "more likely to take up yoga when encouraged by trusted others and male role models". These studies included men up to 60, not older men.
In older veterans after cancer, "A minority of older veterans express an interest in yoga, but those who do have high rates of class attendance and home practice". Interest rose from 5.5% to 31.8% after a short explanation of what yoga involves, and "Age was not associated with beliefs about yoga".
In 1,880 adults in their 70s, "men losing almost twice as much strength as women": 3.4 to 4.1% a year from the legs. Strength falls about three times faster than muscle size, so keeping muscle isn't enough on its own. Sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle) is now defined first by low strength.
In older men, lifting the arm out to the side and bending the hip fell about 5 to 6 degrees a decade, faster from about 71. But in a national survey, "at least to age 74 years, any substantial loss of joint mobility should be viewed as abnormal and not attributable to aging".
The Royal Osteoporosis Society says "1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis". Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can thin bone too.
In 1,469 men around 90, 94.7% of fractures were from falls, 88.1% from standing height or less and 70.6% indoors. In a mostly male group of adults aged 51 to 75, 1 in 5 couldn't stand on one leg for 10 seconds.
The NHS says "An enlarged prostate is most common in men over 50 years old", and it "is not caused by prostate cancer, and does not increase your risk of getting prostate cancer". "Prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first", so see a GP about any change in peeing.
There's very little research on yoga in older men. We say where the evidence is thin.
Our searches of the main research databases and trial registers, in English, found no randomised trial of yoga for balance, flexibility, strength, falls or everyday function in healthy older men.
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In 120 veterans with long-term back pain (91% men, average age 55), 12 weekly yoga classes were no better than an education booklet for pain or disability, though more of the yoga group felt much improved. In an earlier trial of 150 veterans (74% men, average age 53), yoga improved disability more than waiting at 6 months.
In 24 men about 70 with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), tai chi with yoga was safe and reported improvements, but the summary gives no sizes and the two can't be separated. In rural veterans over 60 (60% men), online yoga didn't ease loneliness.
Across 22 trials in people over 60, yoga beat doing nothing for balance, lower-body flexibility and leg strength, but did no better than other exercise for most outcomes. A 2026 review found the balance gain was no longer significant, and the strength gain borderline, once missing small studies were allowed for. In 118 sedentary adults about 62, yoga matched a stretching and strengthening programme.
In 173 adults about 52 in Hong Kong, 64 of them men, 12 weekly hatha classes improved push-ups and the sit-and-reach test in both men and women, in a trial that wasn't randomised.
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In 12 untrained men aged 60 to 72, 12 weeks of heavy training more than doubled knee straightening strength (a small study with no comparison group). Across 30 studies of people over 50, men gained more absolute strength than women on the same programmes. Across 73 trials, progressive resistance training had a large effect on older adults' strength.
In 93 men with low bone mass, heavy lifting and impact raised spine bone density by 4.1%. Across trials in men, exercise helped the hip a little but not clearly the spine. No yoga bone trial in men exists.
The NHS lists yoga among muscle-strengthening activities for people 65 and over, on top of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. A 2014 British Heart Foundation article calls yoga "an additional activity not an alternative one".
NICE recommends "supervised resistance and aerobic exercise at least twice a week for 12 weeks to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life". Across 18 trials and 1,477 men, supervised exercise improved strength and quality of life. No yoga trial in men on hormone therapy exists; yoga fits beside the supervised programme, not instead of it.
Yoga for mobility, balance and some strength on 2 days a week, plus progressive strength work (sit to stands, then goblet squats; bands, then weights) and impact if your bones allow. Our guide to building muscle after 50 has a plan (our editorial suggestion).
In the main review of exercise to prevent falls, volunteers averaged 76 and 77% were women. Exercise cut the rate of falls by 23% (high certainty), and balance and functional exercise did most.
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Yoga improves balance tests a little, but in 454 adults over 65 (about 39% men), chair yoga didn't change falls. Do the balance poses at a counter 3 or more times a week and make them harder over time. Our yoga for longevity guide has the detail.
The world falls guidelines say "One in 8 older adults who fall report lying on the floor for more than 1 hour". Practising getting down and up with a chair, and someone nearby at first, is worth a few minutes of every session (our editorial suggestion).
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Our searches found no trial of yoga in men with an enlarged prostate, and a review of yoga and urinary symptoms called for "Rigorous studies". The NHS lists pelvic floor muscle training and bladder training among treatments. Our yoga for an enlarged prostate guide covers it.
In 68 men having radiotherapy for prostate cancer, twice-weekly yoga improved fatigue and erection scores but not urinary symptoms, against no yoga; 18 men dropped out. Before prostate removal, 6 weeks of yoga in 29 men showed only trends. Our yoga for prostate cancer guide covers treatment.
In 40 men with chronic pelvic pain, yoga eased symptoms nearly as much as tablets, but the tablets did better for urinary symptoms. It was a small pilot.
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NICE's guideline on urinary symptoms in men says: "Offer supervised pelvic floor muscle training to men with stress urinary incontinence caused by prostatectomy. Advise them to continue the exercises for at least 3 months before considering other options." Reviews of the trials are more cautious: men's leaking improved over time whatever they did, and the value of the exercises "remains uncertain".
In 49 men who hadn't had prostate surgery, pelvic floor exercises cut dribbling after peeing more than urethral milking (pressing gently behind the scrotum to clear the last drops), which NICE also suggests. Prostate Cancer UK's tip: "Tighten your pelvic floor muscles strongly after you urinate."
Prostate Cancer UK says "Some types of exercise such as Pilates and yoga may also help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles", but no yoga trial in men has measured the pelvic floor or leaking. Do the squeeze itself, and build it into poses as our yoga for prostate cancer class does.
In 315,059 adults (58% men), people who were inactive for most of adult life but became active between 40 and 61 had a 35% lower death rate, much like those active all along, and "These benefits held similarly for men and women".
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In the US, emergency visits for yoga injuries were 57.9 per 100,000 practitioners at 65 and over, against 11.9 at 18 to 44, mostly sprains and strains of the trunk. The authors add that this "should not deter individuals, even older individuals, from participating". In 94 trials, yoga was as safe as usual care and other exercise.
US health advice: "Practice yoga under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks." The British Wheel of Yoga suggests "a gentle beginners’ class, if you’re new to yoga", or chair-based classes if getting up and down from the mat is hard.
Use props freely. Slow breathing: 2 minutes, in for about 4 and out for about 6, no holds (our yoga for over 50s class). Cat-cow: "8 waves, slower than feels natural" (the move page's dose), seated or on all fours, rounding kept small with thin bones. Thoracic rotation: "6 rotations per side, moving with the breath" (the move page's dose). Low lunge: 30 seconds each side, hands on your front thigh or blocks, back knee padded (our gentle yoga for beginners class). Hamstring stretch with a strap: 45 seconds each side, other knee bent, a mild stretch only (our yoga for over 50s class). Reclined figure four: 45 seconds each side, holding behind the thigh; after a hip replacement only if your surgical team agrees (our gentle yoga for beginners class).
3D demoSlow breathing (6 breaths a minute)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment
3D demoLow lunge (Anjaneyasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSupine hamstring stretch with a strapBeginner · No equipment
3D demoReclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)Beginner · No equipmentChair pose: 3 holds of 5 breaths. Sit to stand: 8 to 10 slow stands, chair against the wall. Warrior II and high lunge: 5 breaths each side (all from our yoga for over 50s class). Wall push-up: 8 to 10, breathing out as you push away (our yoga for prostate cancer class). Band row: "3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure, with 60 to 90 seconds' rest" (from the move page's dose). Farmer's carry: 2 walks of 30 metres, with dumbbells or two full shopping bags (our Pilates for longevity class). Locust: 3 to 5 lifts, held 3 to 5 seconds, arms by your sides. Bridge: 6 to 8 slow lifts (both from our yoga for over 50s class). If you leak, squeeze your pelvic floor just before you stand (our yoga for prostate cancer class).
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHigh lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoLocust pose (Salabhasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipmentHeel-to-toe stand and walk: 30 seconds each way round, then 10 steps, fingertips on the wall, then off. Tree pose: 3 to 5 breaths each side, twice, fingertips on the wall. Warrior III: 3 breaths each side, twice, hands on the chair back (all from our yoga for over 50s class). Single-leg stand: 3 holds of 5 to 10 seconds each side, fingertips on the counter (our Pilates for longevity class). Getting down and up: 2 slow cycles, using a chair (our yoga for over 50s class), with someone nearby the first few times.
Pelvic floor squeezes: "Start with 8 slow holds of up to 10 seconds and 8 quick squeezes, three times a day, and build towards 10 of each, as POGP and Prostate Cancer UK suggest" (from the move page's dose). Squeeze as if stopping wind and your pee; the base of your penis dips and your scrotum lifts (our yoga for prostate cancer class); not while a catheter is in. Pelvic floor relaxation: 5 slow breaths after each set of squeezes, letting the muscles drop and soften (our yoga for prostate cancer class).
Lying twist: 45 seconds each side, a cushion under the top knee. Corpse pose: 3 minutes, then roll to your side and pause before you sit up (both from our yoga for over 50s class).
Our editorial starting point, following the NHS guidelines for older adults, the UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines, NICE's pelvic floor advice and the world falls guidelines.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Sit to stand from a chair
The 35-minute longevity class is the main one: strength with load and grip, balance at a counter and getting down to the floor and up again. The prostate cancer class and the men's pelvic floor class build in the pelvic floor squeeze, and suit any man. No trial has tested these classes themselves.
A 35-minute yoga class for ageing well: a brisk start, leg and upper-body strength with grip, balance at a counter, and getting down to the floor and up.
35 minBeginner20 movesBench or box, wallA 30-minute yoga class for people over 50: standing strength, balance at the wall, back strengthening and gentle hips, with no deep forward folds.
30 minBeginner19 movesBench or box, wallA 30-minute gentle yoga class for men with prostate cancer: breathing, the pelvic floor squeeze and release, standing strength at a chair and a supported rest.
30 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, wallA 20-minute men's pelvic floor Pilates class: find the squeeze and the release, then use it lying, seated and standing, for leaks after prostate surgery and erections.
20 minBeginner14 movesBench or box, something with weightA free 20-minute chair yoga class for older adults: slow breathing, gentle seated stretches and twists, standing poses holding the chair, and a calm finish.
20 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, something with weightA 15-minute chair yoga routine done entirely sitting: slow breathing, neck, shoulder and wrist stretches, seated twists and side bends, and a calm finish.
15 minBeginner16 movesBench or boxThirty minutes of standing yoga for balance: strong standing poses, one-leg poses at the wall, and side steps, backward steps, reaches and sit-to-stands.
30 minBeginner16 movesWall, bench or boxThirty-five minutes of yoga built for strength: long standing holds, slow lowering from plank, single-leg balances and a band row, with harder options.
35 minIntermediate18 movesStep, bandA 25-minute gentle yoga class for complete beginners and over-50s: slow breathing, a warm-up, supported standing poses, floor poses and a closing rest.
25 minBeginner14 movesNo equipmentA 40-minute class for erectile dysfunction: a 20-minute brisk walk, standing yoga poses and a pelvic floor block, with a short rest to finish.
40 minBeginner13 movesCardio machineFor the walking and strength parts of your week.
A 12-week workout plan for men over 50: three strength days with power and balance work, cardio and recovery, at the gym or at home, with a 4-day option.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginner6 days a weekA free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginnerAvoid heavy exercise for the first 4 to 6 weeks; short walks are fine if your surgeon suggests them. Start pelvic floor exercises only once the catheter is out, and ask your surgical team before floor-based ab work. If you're having hormone therapy or the cancer has spread to your bones, avoid activities where you could fall.
No deep rounding under load, and stay near a counter for the balance poses. Prostate Cancer UK says to "avoid activities where you could fall, especially if you’re on hormone therapy or your cancer has spread to the bones".
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Get up slowly from the floor: roll to your side, sit, then stand with a chair in reach, as our Pilates for older men guide and men's pelvic floor class say. Fainting on tamsulosin is in the warning signs below.
Keep breathing in every hold. The plank moves' pages say: "With heart disease, keep breathing and ask your cardiac team before long holds; with heart failure, avoid planks." Our yoga for heart health guide has more.
Bend your knees in folds, sit on a block or a chair, use a strap, and work in a comfortable range, as our yoga for men guide suggests.
Leave out deep or forced folds, plough and shoulder stand until you know your bones are healthy, and always on hormone therapy: fold from the hips with a long back, as our yoga for prostate cancer class does.
US health advice is that beginners avoid headstands, shoulder stands and the lotus position. Sit cross-legged on a block or on a chair instead.
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Our yoga for an enlarged prostate guide explains that holding mula bandha (a pelvic floor lift) hasn't been tested for the prostate, and that relaxing fully after every squeeze matters. With pelvic pain, more squeezing can make things worse.
Check which floor positions are allowed with your surgical team before practising getting down and up.
Most older men can start yoga without a check-up. These are the site's lines for when to check first and when to get help, word for word from our older adults, men's, enlarged prostate and yoga guides. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
You have heart disease, get chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness on effort, or are having treatment for prostate cancer, as our exercise for men guide advises. After a heart attack, follow your cardiac rehabilitation team.
You're frail, have moderate to severe dementia, have had a spinal fracture or fall regularly: the UK guidelines suggest any new exercise is supervised by a trained professional at first.
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Call 999 if:
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
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Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
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Don't drive yourself to A&E. Call 999 or go to A&E now if:
For a bulge in your groin or tummy that is painful, or comes with a swollen tummy, being sick or constipation, as our guide to exercise for men explains. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.
The NHS says erection problems that keep happening "might be a sign of a health condition that can be treated", such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, so see a GP or a sexual health clinic too.
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If you have fallen, or are worried about falling, ask your GP about a falls assessment. The NHS says strength, balance and flexibility exercise will help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet.
Dizzy, faint, unusually breathless, or sharp or increasing pain. Sit down until it passes, and see a GP if you keep getting dizzy or faint when you stand up.
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A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
Flexibility is something yoga builds, not something you need first: yoga improved lower-body flexibility in older adults, and big losses of hip and knee movement before 75 aren't normal ageing. Bend your knees, sit on a block or chair, and use a strap.
Most people in classes and trials are women, but that reflects who signs up: men describe the "perception of yoga as feminine" as a barrier, not a reason it doesn't work. Men who played sport often take it up "to restore the mobility and flexibility they once had".
Becoming active in midlife went with death rates like lifelong activity, similarly in men and women, and among older veterans "Age was not associated with beliefs about yoga". Start gently, with a teacher.
No trial shows either, and the one yoga trial in men that measured urinary symptoms found no difference from no yoga. Our yoga for an enlarged prostate guide has the detail.
Men lose strength fastest with age, strength training wins back more than yoga, and most yoga doesn't count toward the 150 aerobic minutes. Do yoga with strength work and walking.
Hatha classes raised push-ups in middle-aged men and women, and yoga improved leg strength in older adults, though the gain may be smaller than it looked. It depends on how hard the poses are.
Men have a pelvic floor too. NICE recommends supervised training after prostate surgery, and the exercises cut dribbling after peeing in 49 men.
Yes, as a way to keep moving, ease stiffness and train balance and some strength. Trials in older adults found small to moderate gains against doing nothing, but most volunteers were women, and no trial has tested yoga in healthy older men alone. Pair it with strength training and walking.
Yes: stiffness is a reason to start. Use a chair, blocks and a strap, bend your knees in folds, and choose a gentle beginners' or chair class. Yoga improves flexibility in older adults.
No. People who became active in midlife had death rates like those active all along, similarly in men and women. Start with a teacher: US health advice says learning alone has been linked with more injuries.
It can help you stay active, but no trial shows it shrinks the prostate or eases the urinary symptoms. Pelvic floor training and bladder training are NHS treatments, and any change in peeing is worth a GP visit.
Prostate Cancer UK says yoga may help, but no trial in men has tested it. Do the pelvic floor squeeze itself; after prostate surgery, NICE recommends supervised training for at least 3 months.
Usually yes, once your team agrees. After surgery, avoid heavy exercise for the first 4 to 6 weeks and start pelvic floor exercises once the catheter is out. On hormone therapy, NICE recommends supervised strength and aerobic exercise twice a week; yoga goes beside that, without deep folds.
Not on its own. Men lose strength fastest with age, and the NHS asks for strength and balance work plus 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. A strong yoga class covers the strength and balance days; add walking and some heavier strength work.
A gentle hatha, beginners' or chair class with props, or our 35-minute longevity class, which adds strength, balance and getting up from the floor. Skip headstands, shoulder stands and the lotus as a beginner.
It's safe and suits days when standing or the floor is hard. In 454 adults over 65, about 39% of them men, chair yoga had no serious related problems, though it didn't change quality of life or falls. Stand for the balance poses when you can.
Yoga improves balance tests a little, but trials haven't shown fewer falls. Programmes that make balance and strength work harder, 3 times a week, do cut falls, so do the balance poses at a counter and progress them.
In trials, yoga is as safe as other exercise. Emergency visits for yoga injuries are more common at 65 and over, mostly sprains and strains, so start gently and skip extreme poses.
Both if you can. Men over 50 gain a lot from strength training, and yoga adds balance, mobility and calm. Our yoga for longevity guide shows how to fit them into a week.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
