Can yoga really enhance bone density?
If you happen to 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, packages, 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 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 examine that means yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly decreasing the chance of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The examine 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 examine got here out. It was a giant deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples via the broader wellness house.
As an alternative of simply being recognized for leisure, 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 examine additionally helped carry yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved follow.
However the greater query remained: Are the examine’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development
Apparently, the identical yr Dr. Fishman’s examine was printed, so was the LIFTMOR trial.
The LIFTMOR trial additionally studied osteoporosis—particularly in postmenopausal girls with no important historical past of train and low bone mineral density. Contributors have been break 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 important distinction in bone progress between the low-intensity dwelling group and the supervised energy coaching group. And people outcomes have been replicated in a number of related trials that adopted.
Even higher? The resistance coaching group had no accidents reported.
So, if low-impact motion had minimal influence on BMD, however the Fishman examine claimed yoga (additionally low influence) elevated BMD—what provides?
Why Dr. Fishman’s Examine 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 are feeling?”), generally quantitatively (through bone scans). And not using a management group to match 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 routinely disqualify the work, but it surely does increase purple flags—particularly provided that he earnings from yoga books, packages, and trainings if the findings assist using his services and products.
4. It’s not a blind or double blind examine.
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 may have additionally doubtless 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 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 strain to bones to stimulate progress.
And as your physique adapts, you have to enhance that strain over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—rising the load or influence 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 rising 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 progress. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscular tissues towards one other, yoga exposes bones to better forces and, due to this fact, may improve bone mineral density (BMD) greater than different means.”
Sadly, this merely isn’t true.
At greatest, yoga includes bodyweight-only power—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want important load or influence to develop: issues like lifting heavy weights or leaping.
So, Can Yoga Assist You Construct Power?
Sure—to a degree. However for most individuals—no.
Yoga is a implausible basis for energy, notably in case 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 possibly can achieve. Nevertheless it’s nice for constructing endurance in case you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.
One Apply Can’t Do All the pieces
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 gained’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and gives influence and cardio, however not energy.
Each sort of motion has its strengths and limitations—and that’s okay.
The purpose is solely to say that our our bodies want selection and one type of motion can’t do every little thing our our bodies have to 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 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/submit/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density
