Can yoga really enhance bone density?
Should you ask Google, you’ll discover all types of assets saying sure—yoga is an efficient technique for constructing bone density and stopping osteoporotic fractures, like hip or femur breaks from falls.
A seek for “Yoga for Osteoporosis” pulls up hundreds of hits for books, applications, and movies promising that will help you construct higher bones with a low-impact yoga follow. 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 most important 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 research that implies yoga can improve bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—probably lowering the chance of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The research was titled, “12-Minute Day by day Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”
The Examine That Made Waves within the Yoga World
I bear in mind when the information of Dr. Fishman’s research got here out. It was a giant deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by way of the broader wellness area.
As an alternative of simply being identified for rest, yoga might 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 lecturers now had scientific backing for what they have been already selling. The research additionally helped deliver yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved follow.
However the larger query remained: Are the research’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Progress
Apparently, the identical 12 months Dr. Fishman’s research was revealed, 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 break up into two teams: one did low-impact motion at residence, 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 residence 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 impression on BMD, however the Fishman research claimed yoga (additionally low impression) elevated BMD—what provides?
Why Dr. Fishman’s Examine Falls Quick
There are a number of flaws in Dr. Fishman’s research 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—typically qualitatively (“how do you are feeling?”), typically quantitatively (by way of bone scans). With no management group to match the outcomes to, it’s exhausting to attract dependable conclusions from the findings on this research.
2. The research 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 research himself. That doesn’t routinely disqualify the work, but it surely does increase purple flags—particularly on condition that he income from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings assist the usage of his services.
4. It’s not a blind or double blind research.
Each one that participated was already a yoga practitioner once they began. It wasn’t a brand new follow for them, however acquainted. One thing they in all probability loved. This could have additionally possible impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or have been merely extra inclined to remain dedicated to doing the poses persistently.
Collectively, these components restrict the research’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.
Which means making use of a specific amount of strain to bones to stimulate development.
And as your physique adapts, you have to improve that strain over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—rising the burden or impression to maintain your bones responding and getting stronger.
Put merely, yoga doesn’t apply sufficient drive to considerably improve bone density.
Let’s Get Sensible: What Yoga Can (and Can’t) Do
Most of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s research 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 rising BMD whereas driving or sleeping.
Within the research, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle teams towards one another in a method that stimulates bone development. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscle mass towards one other, yoga exposes bones to higher 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 entails bodyweight-only drive—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want vital load or impression to develop: issues like lifting heavy weights or leaping.
So, Can Yoga Assist You Construct Power?
Sure—to some extent. However for most individuals—no.
Yoga is a unbelievable basis for energy, significantly in the event 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 finally plateau in how a lot energy you may achieve. However it’s nice for constructing endurance in the event you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.
One Observe Can’t Do All the things
Let’s be actual: no single follow checks each health field.
Power coaching builds muscle and bone, but it surely’s not cardio. Biking is nice for cardiovascular well being, but it surely received’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and gives impression 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 model 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 are feeling grounded and fewer burdened.
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It improves your flexibility and steadiness.
Do it for all these stunning causes and extra.
However don’t do yoga anticipating it to extend your bone density. It received’t. —Naomi
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4851231/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26243363/
https://www.karinweinstein.com/publish/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density
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