A ROOM full of calming music, the wafting scent of incense and the Lotus position may not be the first thing you would link to men's fitness.

For many a year yoga, and its associated practices such as pilates, have been characterised as a women-only domain.

A quick search of the internet yoga is portrayed as women posing elegantly on a mountain top or beach, silhouetted against a serene sunset — even the NHS website has such an image for its article on the benefits of yoga.

It might be this, or any talk of asanas or lotuses, which may make the exercise appear 'un-manly'.

But in the past few years this perception has been overturned as leading sportsmen such as former Welsh team captain and Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, tennis champion Andy Murray and former world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield have credited yoga exercise for improved flexibility and increased stamina.

New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team have even raved about it, and in 2011 BBC News reported how the Welsh team were using 'hot yoga' to prepare for their game against the New Zealand in the World Cup.

Giggs said yoga was one of the reasons he was still playing Premier League football at the age of 40 and even released a DVD — Giggs Fitness: Strength & Conditioning Inspired by Yoga — to spread the word.

But have many regular male gym-goers been prepared to take on the yoga challenge?

In Bolton, Gareth Price, owner of V1ntage Studio Bolton, has been trying to break down the stigma by encouraging men to the gym's own yoga class.

The 59-year-old has become a strong advocate for the practice and believes it has been huge benefit to his time competing in Ironman UK.

He said: "I'm 60 in October and completed my third Ironman last year and plan to do it again.

"Yoga is especially good for guys who do triathlons, your body gets stiff doing one type of exercise but yoga gets your body bending back in a way it should do.

"It's not easy, it's a strong class. I'm strong in my lower body through cycling and running, but not my upper, so positions like Downward Facing Dog challenge that, it pushes me to use my upper body strength.

"A lot of guys think yoga is for girls, but I want to do away with that. It's completely complementary to a lot of sports and has a lot of benefits."

According to the British Wheel of Yoga, the Sport England-recognised governing body for yoga, the practice originated in India 5,000 years ago and can be practised by anyone "regardless of age, sex or ability".

It's benefits include improved efficiency of lungs and cardio-vascular system, improved posture, flexibility and strength, improved concentration, enhanced feeling of well-being, better quality sleep and reduction of anxiety and depression.

Helen Carroll, from Horwich, has been teaching yoga for four years and has been practising it for more than 10 years.

The 40-year-old runs the class at V1ntage Studio Bolton, as well as other public and private classes around Horwich.

Despite often finding a first-time class is out of their comfort zone, Helen believes that once men get used to the calmer pace and the unexpected challenges of flexing long-forgotten muscles, they soon realise how important yoga can become to their exercise routine.

"A lot of men usually first come to a class because of an injury and they have this idea that it's a bit 'possery' of hippy," she explained.

"They don't want to be in the class environment, but if their physio says it's the only way to improve their strength sometimes they think of giving it a go.

"Those who stick with it find that it's the only way to do the things they want and realise how much it has improved their fitness. Normally they have really tight hamstrings and hips, which are preventing them from doing the sport they want or causing injuries, but yoga can help that or improve the lower back and shoulders which really take a hammering in sport.

"Men usually find it difficult to relax at the end, women usually love that opportunity to lie on the floor for a moments piece, men just aren't used to that but they do get used to it.

"They do feel a little bit out of their comfort zone but it's all about getting over that and realising how much it can improve you."

To find out more visit the British Wheel of Yoga website at www.bwy.org.uk.