Can yoga truly enhance bone density?
Should you ask Google, you’ll discover all types of sources saying sure—yoga is an efficient methodology for constructing bone density and stopping osteoporotic fractures, like hip or femur breaks from falls.
A seek for “Yoga for Osteoporosis” pulls up 1000’s of hits for books, packages, and movies promising that can assist you construct higher bones with a low-impact yoga apply. Even Yoga with Adriene has a “Yoga for Bone Well being” video on her channel, which reaches over 12 million subscribers.
However most of these hyperlinks hint again to 1 primary supply: the work of Dr. Loren Fishman, creator of a number of books together with Yoga for Osteoporosis. He’s additionally the co-author of a 2015 examine that means yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly decreasing the danger of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The examine was titled, “12-Minute Each day Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”
The Research That Made Waves within the Yoga World
I bear in mind when the information of Dr. Fishman’s examine got here out. It was a giant deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by way of the broader wellness house.
As a substitute of simply being identified for leisure, yoga may now be seen as a one-stop-shop for all of your health wants.
It was nice information for yoga practitioners—and nice for enterprise, too. Studios and academics now had scientific backing for what they have been already selling. The examine additionally helped carry yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved apply.
However the larger query remained: Are the examine’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development
Curiously, the identical 12 months Dr. Fishman’s examine was printed, so was the LIFTMOR trial.
The LIFTMOR trial additionally studied osteoporosis—particularly in postmenopausal girls with no vital historical past of train and low bone mineral density. Contributors have been cut up into two teams: one did low-impact motion at dwelling, whereas the opposite did supervised high-intensity progressive resistance coaching (HiPRT). Every group exercised twice every week for half-hour over an eight-month interval.
The outcomes? There was a vital distinction in bone development between the low-intensity dwelling group and the supervised energy coaching group. And people outcomes have been replicated in a number of comparable trials that adopted.
Even higher? The resistance coaching group had no accidents reported.
So, if low-impact motion had minimal affect on BMD, however the Fishman examine claimed yoga (additionally low affect) elevated BMD—what provides?
Why Dr. Fishman’s Research Falls Quick
There are a number of flaws in Dr. Fishman’s examine that make the outcomes much less scientifically legitimate.
1. No management group. This implies they’re not evaluating the outcomes of individuals doing yoga to folks not doing yoga. They have been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—generally qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), generally quantitatively (by way of bone scans). With no management group to check the outcomes to, it’s exhausting to attract dependable conclusions from the findings on this examine.
2. The examine hasn’t been independently replicated. It lacks sufficient element for others to breed it and validate the findings.
3. Potential for bias. Dr. Fishman funded the examine himself. That doesn’t robotically disqualify the work, but it surely does elevate crimson flags—particularly on condition that he earnings from yoga books, packages, and trainings if the findings help using his services and products.
4. It’s not a blind or double blind examine.
Each one who participated was already a yoga practitioner after they began. It wasn’t a brand new apply for them, however acquainted. One thing they in all probability loved. This is able to have additionally probably impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or have been merely extra inclined to remain dedicated to doing the poses persistently.
Collectively, these elements restrict the examine’s validity and scientific rigor.
The Actual Science Behind Constructing Bone Density
Right here’s what we do know: to construct bone, you need to stress bone.
Meaning making use of a certain quantity of stress to bones to stimulate development.
And as your physique adapts, you could enhance that stress over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—growing the load or affect to maintain your bones responding and getting stronger.
Put merely, yoga doesn’t apply sufficient power to considerably enhance bone density.
Let’s Get Sensible: What Yoga Can (and Can’t) Do
Lots of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s examine have been standing, however some have been seated. One was supine and inactive—savasana, pose #12.
If seated and supine positions constructed stronger bones, we’d all be growing BMD whereas driving or sleeping.
Within the examine, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle teams towards one another in a means that stimulates bone development. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscle mass towards one other, yoga exposes bones to larger forces and, due to this fact, may improve bone mineral density (BMD) greater than different means.”
Sadly, this merely isn’t true.
At finest, yoga includes bodyweight-only power—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want vital load or affect to develop: issues like lifting heavy weights or leaping.
So, Can Yoga Assist You Construct Energy?
Sure—to some extent. However for most individuals—no.
Yoga is a implausible basis for energy, significantly when you’re new to motion, recovering from harm or sickness, or engaged on reconnecting together with your physique.
As a result of it makes use of body weight solely (plus gravity), you’ll ultimately plateau in how a lot energy you may achieve. But it surely’s nice for constructing endurance when you maintain poses for longer than just a few breaths.
One Apply Can’t Do All the things
Let’s be actual: no single apply checks each health field.
Energy coaching builds muscle and bone, but it surely’s not cardio. Biking is nice for cardiovascular well being, but it surely gained’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and provides affect and cardio, however not energy.
Each sort of motion has its strengths and limitations—and that’s okay.
The purpose is just to say that our our bodies want selection and one fashion of motion can’t do every part our our bodies must be wholesome.
Do Yoga for the Proper Causes
Do yoga as a result of:
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It feels good in your physique.
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It strengthens your mind-body connection.
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It helps you’re feeling grounded and fewer pressured.
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It improves your flexibility and stability.
Do it for all these lovely causes and extra.
However don’t do yoga anticipating it to extend your bone density. It gained’t. —Naomi
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4851231/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26243363/
https://www.karinweinstein.com/put up/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density