Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga truly 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 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 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 improve bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—probably decreasing the chance of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The examine was titled, “12-Minute Every 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 way of 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 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 observe.

However the greater 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 per 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 power 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 influence on BMD, however the Fishman examine claimed yoga (additionally low influence) 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—typically qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), typically quantitatively (through 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 mechanically disqualify the work, nevertheless it does increase purple flags—particularly provided that he earnings from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings assist the usage of his services.

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

Each one that participated was already a yoga practitioner after they began. It wasn’t a brand new observe for them, however acquainted. One thing they most likely loved. This might have additionally doubtless impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or have been merely extra inclined to remain dedicated to doing the poses constantly.

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, it’s a must to stress bone.

Which means making use of a certain quantity of strain to bones to stimulate development.

And as your physique adapts, you will need to improve that strain over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—rising the burden 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 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 in opposition to one another in a method that stimulates bone development. He wrote:

“By pitting one group of muscular tissues in opposition to one other, yoga exposes bones to larger forces and, subsequently, would possibly 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 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 power, significantly in the event you’re new to motion, recovering from damage 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’ll be able to acquire. But it surely’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 observe checks each health field.

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

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 all the things our our bodies have to be wholesome.