Can yoga really enhance bone density?
For those who ask Google, you’ll discover all kinds of sources 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 can assist 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 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 research that implies yoga can improve bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly decreasing the danger of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The research was titled, “12-Minute Every day Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”
The Examine That Made Waves within the Yoga World
I keep in mind when the information of Dr. Fishman’s research got here out. It was an enormous deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by means of the broader wellness area.
As an alternative 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 lecturers now had scientific backing for what they have been already selling. The research 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 research’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development
Curiously, the identical yr Dr. Fishman’s research was revealed, so was the LIFTMOR trial.
The LIFTMOR trial additionally studied osteoporosis—particularly in postmenopausal ladies 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 residence, 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 important distinction in bone development between the low-intensity residence 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 affect on BMD, however the Fishman research claimed yoga (additionally low affect) elevated BMD—what offers?
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 individuals 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 check 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, nevertheless it does increase pink flags—particularly on condition that he income from yoga books, packages, and trainings if the findings help using his services and products.
4. It’s not a blind or double blind research.
Each one that participated was already a yoga practitioner after they began. It wasn’t a brand new follow for them, however acquainted. One thing they most likely loved. This may have additionally possible impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or have been merely extra inclined to remain dedicated to doing the poses constantly.
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, it’s important to stress bone.
Which means making use of a specific amount of stress to bones to stimulate development.
And as your physique adapts, you could improve 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 pressure 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 growing BMD whereas driving or sleeping.
Within the research, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle teams in opposition to one another in a means that stimulates bone development. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscle mass in opposition to one other, yoga exposes bones to better forces and, due to this fact, would possibly improve bone mineral density (BMD) greater than different means.”
Sadly, this merely isn’t true.
At finest, yoga entails bodyweight-only pressure—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want important load or affect 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 incredible basis for power, significantly when you’re new to motion, recovering from damage 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 power you’ll be able to acquire. Nevertheless it’s nice for constructing endurance when you maintain poses for longer than just a few breaths.
One Apply Can’t Do The whole lot
Let’s be actual: no single follow 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 gives affect 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’t do all the things our our bodies should 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 confused.
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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/put up/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density