This mortgage account executive wasn’t expecting much when his girlfriend talked him into trying yoga a year ago. He had been an athlete all his life—-how hard could it be to bend and breathe?

“It was a struggle getting through the whole session,” the Birmingham, Michigan, native admits of his first Bikram class. Years of soccer and even his four-times-a-week workout regime of intense cardio and weight-lifting didn’t prepare him for yoga’s physical challenge. “It’s the greatest workout I’ve ever had,” he says. “It gives me the same benefits as running and weights, but better.”

Better because the core strength and endurance he’s gained from balancing Stick pose, Locust, and the like have improved all of his workouts. Now he’s hitting the gym five to six times a week (plus about four yoga classes a month), running faster, and lifting harder. “When I’m in the middle of a lift,’’ he says, “and I start to pay more attention to my breathing, I immediately gain energy and can maintain my focus for a longer period of time.” He also notes that he’s lost 10 pounds off his already trim 5-foot-9 frame.

Better, too, because it has helped him deal with the pressures of his high-stress job. “When you have a tough or long day and you’re tired, yoga gives you energy,” he says.

Milford’s tip: Just do it. “I was intimidated because I’m not flexible,” he says. “But you move at your own pace and set your own standards.”