How many men do yoga in the UK? In a YouGov poll of 1,993 British adults, 6% of men did yoga or Pilates, against 20% of women. So roughly one man in seventeen takes part. Older English survey data points the same way, and the gap is wide in every country measured.
That answer raises better questions about how many men do yoga in practice. Which figures can you trust? Do they mean you will be the only man in the room? And what do the numbers say about hot yoga? This guide sets out the UK and US evidence, explains what each figure really counts, and shows where the Bali teacher training fits for British readers.
The article is written by the YogaFX team and draws on YogaFX‘s own applicant data for 2019 to 2025. Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, has taught more than 12,000 hours, and he sees the male share of his classes shift year by year.
How Many Men Do Yoga? The Short Answer in Plain Numbers
No single UK survey gives one clean answer. Instead, four sources each count something slightly different, so the answer to how many men do yoga depends on who asked. Put side by side, they agree on the shape: men are a clear minority, and the minority is slowly growing.
- UK adults, 2025. YouGov found 20% of women and 6% of men did yoga or Pilates.
- England, 2006/2008. The Health Survey for England put yoga at 1.11% of all adults.
- United States, 2022. Women were about twice as likely as men to practise yoga.
- UK, US and Spain, 2023. Statista reported roughly a 30 to 10 split of women to men.
None of these figures isolates hot yoga. That’s worth saying early, because the rest of this guide keeps returning to it. National surveys count yoga as one category, and the Original Hot 26&2 sequence sits inside it.
How Many Men Do Yoga? UK and US Participation by Sex
The table below lists each source, the year, what it measured and what it found for men and women. Read the last column before you quote any figure, because the question asked changes the number.
| Source and year | What was counted | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouGov, UK, August 2025 (1,993 adults) | Took part in yoga or Pilates (the two are grouped) | 6% | 20% |
| Statista Global Consumer Survey, 2023 | At least occasional yoga, UK, US and Spain | About 10% | About 30% |
| US National Health Interview Survey, 2022 | Yoga in the past 12 months | 10.3% | More than 23% |
| US National Health Interview Survey, 2017 | Yoga in the past 12 months | 8.6% | Not quoted here |
| Health Survey for England, 2006/2008 | Yoga in the last four weeks, all adults | Not split in the paper text | Women far more likely (odds ratio 7.41) |
Notice that the US figure for 2022 jumped from 8.6% in 2017 to 10.3%. Men are joining, then, even though the gap with women has not closed. The CDC’s 2022 survey also showed overall yoga use rising from about 5% of US adults in 2002 to 16% in 2022, as reported by NPR.
What England’s Health Survey Says About Men in Yoga Statistics
The best long-run British figures on how many men do yoga come from a study by Ding and Stamatakis in BMC Research Notes. They analysed the Health Survey for England, which samples adults aged 16 and over. In total, 81,090 people gave usable answers, and 603 of them had done yoga in the previous four weeks. You can read the full paper on the BMC site.
Yoga in England, 1997 to 2008
Participation roughly doubled in a decade, though it started from a very low base:
- 1997 to 1999: 0.46% of adults had done yoga in the last four weeks.
- 2003 to 2004: 0.94% had done so.
- 2006 and 2008: 1.11% had done so.
The authors also checked who practised. Being female was the strongest link, with an odds ratio of 7.41. Older age, a non-manual job and a degree all raised the odds too. Obesity lowered them. The paper itself says absolute participation in England was still low.
That is old data, so treat it as a baseline, not a headline. However, it shows something useful for this article, for example the age pattern. The male gap in Britain is long-standing, so it is not a recent fashion. Recent surveys such as YouGov’s 2025 poll still show the same pattern.
The YouGov Poll: 6% of British Men and 20% of Women
YouGov surveyed 1,993 UK adults between 22 and 30 August 2025 and published the results in December 2025. Overall, 14% said they did yoga or Pilates. Among women the figure was 20%, and among men it was 6%. You can see the YouGov write-up here.
One caution matters. YouGov grouped yoga and Pilates into a single answer. So the true figure for yoga alone is probably a little lower for both sexes. We cannot say how much lower, and nobody should pretend to.
Still, the ratio is the useful part, because it survives the grouping. Women were more than three times as likely as men to say yes. That gap is close to the 30 to 10 split Statista reported for the UK, the US and Spain in its 2023 chart.
How Many Men Do Yoga at a Glance: Five Cards
Here are the headline numbers on how many men do yoga, as five cards. Each one is a single figure with its source underneath, so you can quote it without digging.
6% vs 20%
UK men vs women
Took part in yoga or Pilates, August 2025.
1.11%
England, all adults
Up from 0.46% in 1997 to 1999.
10.3%
US men, 2022
Up from 8.6% in 2017.
7.41
Odds ratio, women
How strongly being female predicted yoga in England.
44
Median age, YogaFX men
Male applicants to YogaFX teacher training, 2019 to 2025.
What Percentage of Men Do Yoga in a Hot Room?
Here the honest answer is that nobody knows, because the surveys don’t ask. No UK or US survey separates heated yoga from other styles. There is no census of Original Hot 26&2 studios either. So any claim about how many men do yoga in hot rooms is a guess, and we won’t make one.
What we do have is data from one specialist academy. Every applicant to a YogaFX teacher training fills in an enrolment form. Between 2019 and 2025 the male share of those forms moved from 11% to a peak of 28% in 2022, and it stayed above 20% for three years. In 2025 it was 13%, from a small group of 30 applicants.
The men who applied look different from the stereotype. The median age was 44, and 68% were 40 or over. Also, 83% already practised the sequence before applying. Only 41% rated their own fitness as good. So the typical man was not a gym regular showing off. He was a mid-life practitioner who wanted something he could measure.
For the full international breakdown, including the reasons men give for applying, see the YogaFX research report on male participation.
These numbers describe one academy in Bali, so they don’t show how many men do yoga across the UK. Small groups also swing by several points from year to year. We share them because they are the only data we know of on men in a fixed-sequence hot class.
Why Fewer Men Try Yoga: What UK Searches Show
Search behaviour tells you what men worry about once they know how many men do yoga. People who type the main question into Google also ask can men do yoga, do guys go to yoga classes and is yoga good for men. None of these questions is about ability. They are about belonging.
- “Will I be the only man?” In most UK rooms you won’t be, but you may be one of a few.
- “Am I flexible enough?” Flexibility is a result of practice, not an entry ticket.
- “Is it a real workout?” A University of Wisconsin study measured about 460 kcal for men in a 90-minute Bikram class.
- “Is it safe at 40°C?” It can be, with a health check and sensible pacing.
The calorie figure comes from Porcari and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in 2014. Their study of the Bikram sequence is on PubMed, and the site blocks automated checking, so we name it here without a link. Our guide to hot yoga for men and women compared goes through the energy and heat findings in full.
So the gap looks like a perception gap. The practice does not exclude men, but the way yoga is usually sold often does.
How to Read Yoga Statistics Without Being Misled
Figures about how many men do yoga get repeated loosely online. Before you quote one, check four things:
- The question asked. “What percentage of men do yoga” is a different question from “what share of practitioners are men”. The first is about 6% to 10%. The second is higher, because women practise in greater numbers.
- The time window. The US survey counts the past 12 months. England’s counts four weeks. A man who tried one class counts in the first but probably not the second.
- The style. National surveys cover all yoga, and YouGov added Pilates. None isolates hot yoga.
- The sample. A poll of about 2,000 adults is useful. A single academy’s forms are useful too, but only for that academy.
Do that, and you’ll read most headlines more carefully. As a result, you’ll also spot the many articles that quote an American number as if it described Britain.
What the Numbers Mean for a UK Man Thinking of Trying Hot Yoga
If you are one of the 94% of British men who did not tick that box, the data on how many men do yoga carries a reassuring message. You would be in the minority, but not alone, and the minority is growing. The room you join is also not an exam.
In the Original Hot 26&2 class there is no music and no demonstration. A teacher speaks a fixed dialogue, and everyone holds the same posture for the same count. So you can’t fall behind the room. The standing series also asks for held strength, which feels familiar to anyone who lifts, runs or plays rugby.
Heat does need respect, since 90 minutes at about 40°C puts real load on the heart.
Speak to your GP before starting if you take medication or live with a heart, blood pressure or breathing condition. This article is general information, not medical advice, so consult a healthcare professional before you start heated practice. Our UK guides on whether men can do hot yoga and yoga for men over 50 cover health checks and pacing in detail.
If the idea of becoming a teacher appeals, how many men do yoga matters there too. Some of our male applicants say they want to “get more guys into yoga”, and a male teacher who trains properly can make the room feel less foreign to the next newcomer.
Training in Bali From the UK: Where YogaFX Fits
Mr. Ian Terry leads every YogaFX training in person. He has more than 12,000 teaching hours, has graduated more than 1,500 teachers from over 80 countries since 2017, and spent five years from 2014 to 2019 training with the founder of the method. He holds the title of Master Trainer with the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation.
The Bikram Hot 26&2 Yoga Teacher Training MasterClass is a six-day hybrid. You study online first, then join an intensive in Seminyak, Bali. Our studios in Seminyak and Canggu use natural tropical heat, not electric heaters.
- Next batch: check-in Sunday 24 January 2027, check-out Friday 29 January 2027, at Soham Wellness Center in Seminyak.
- Certification: Yoga Alliance RYT 200-Hour plus the Bikram Hot 26&2 200-Hour International Yoga Certification.
- Price: US$1,899 Early Bird, against the normal US$1,999. Interest-free plans start from US$250 a month.
For a side-by-side of cost, time off work and format, read yoga teacher training in Bali vs the UK. Our UK guide to Bikram yoga teacher training explains the certification route.
How Many Men Do Yoga and Fit In? What Students Say
Statistics only go so far. Behind the question of how many men do yoga sits another one: will I fit in? YogaFX has 150 Google reviews, 50 Yoga Alliance reviews and 357 YouTube video testimonials. Three short ones speak to that worry.
The best yoga classes I ever had. The teacher is giving very dynamic flows, many balance poses for deep strength and it will never be boring and is always encouraging.
Anouk, Google review, 2020
Franci recorded a review video in 2026 and said, in her own words, that the course was the biggest challenge of her life. She added that she is proud of herself now and believes she can do everything she wants (Franci, YouTube review, 2026). You can watch it below.
Ivara, in a 2025 review video, said Mr. Ian kept pushing them every day, repeating “you can do it” even when they answered “I cannot” (Ivara, YouTube review, 2025). That is what a supportive room sounds like, whoever you are.
FAQ
How many men do yoga in the UK?
In a YouGov poll of 1,993 UK adults in August 2025, 6% of men did yoga or Pilates, against 20% of women. The two activities were grouped together, so the figure for yoga alone is probably a little lower. No recent UK survey gives a precise count for men only.
What percentage of men do yoga in the US?
About 10.3% of US men practised yoga in 2022, up from 8.6% in 2017, according to the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey. Women were about twice as likely to practise, at more than 23%. Both figures count anyone who did yoga in the past twelve months, even once.
Do guys go to yoga classes?
Yes, but they are the minority. Statista’s 2023 survey found roughly a 30 to 10 split of women to men for the UK, the US and Spain. In practice, most UK classes have a few men. Hot yoga rooms often attract mid-life men who already practise.
Are more men taking up yoga?
The trend is upward but slow. Yoga in England rose from 0.46% of adults in 1997 to 1999 to 1.11% in 2006 and 2008, and US men rose from 8.6% to 10.3% between 2017 and 2022. Men at YogaFX peaked at 28% of applicants in 2022.
Is hot yoga good for men?
It can be. A University of Wisconsin study found men burned about 460 kcal in a 90-minute Bikram class, so it is a real workout. Heat adds risk, though. Check with your GP first if you have a heart, blood pressure or breathing condition, and pace yourself in the first month.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian Terry on WhatsApp and the YogaFX team will answer personally. Tell us your age, your training week and any health concerns, and we will tell you whether hot yoga, or our teacher training, suits you right now.
