Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga really enhance bone density?

In case 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, applications, and movies promising that will help you construct higher bones with a low-impact yoga observe. 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 at least one predominant supply: the work of Dr. Loren Fishman, writer of a number of books together with Yoga for Osteoporosis. He’s additionally the co-author of a 2015 examine that implies yoga can improve bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly lowering the chance 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 keep in mind when the information of Dr. Fishman’s study got here out. It was an enormous deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by the broader wellness area.

As a substitute of simply being recognized for rest, 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 had been already selling. The examine additionally helped convey yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved observe.

However the greater query remained: Are the examine’s findings legit?

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Progress

Apparently, the identical 12 months Dr. Fishman’s examine 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 had been cut up into two teams: one did low-impact motion at house, 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 progress between the low-intensity house group and the supervised power coaching group. And people outcomes had 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 examine claimed yoga (additionally low impression) 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 individuals not doing yoga. They had been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—typically qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), typically quantitatively (through bone scans). With out 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 mechanically disqualify the work, however it does increase crimson flags—particularly on condition that he earnings from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings assist the usage of his services and products.

4. It’s not a blind or double blind examine.

Each one who participated was already a yoga practitioner once they began. It wasn’t a brand new observe for them, however acquainted. One thing they most likely loved. This is able to have additionally seemingly impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or had 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, it’s important to stress bone.

Which means making use of a specific amount of strain to bones to stimulate progress.

And as your physique adapts, you have to improve that strain over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—growing the load or impact to maintain your bones responding and getting stronger.

Put merely, yoga doesn’t apply sufficient power to considerably improve bone density.

Let’s Get Sensible: What Yoga Can (and Can’t) Do

Lots of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s examine had been standing, however some had 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 method that stimulates bone progress. He wrote:

“By pitting one group of muscle mass towards one other, yoga exposes bones to larger forces and, subsequently, 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 impression 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 power, significantly should you’re new to motion, recovering from harm or sickness, or engaged on reconnecting along with your physique.

As a result of it makes use of body weight solely (plus gravity), you’ll ultimately plateau in how a lot power you possibly can achieve. But it surely’s nice for constructing endurance should you maintain poses for longer than a number of breaths.

One Observe Can’t Do The whole lot

Let’s be actual: no single observe checks each health field.

Energy coaching builds muscle and bone, however it’s not cardio. Biking is nice for cardiovascular well being, however it received’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and gives impression and cardio, however not power.

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 fashion of motion can not do every little thing our our bodies have to be wholesome.