Can yoga really enhance bone density?
In the event you ask Google, you’ll discover all types of assets 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 can assist you construct higher bones with a low-impact yoga apply. 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 major 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 danger of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The research was titled, “12-Minute Day by day Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”
The Research That Made Waves within the Yoga World
I bear 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 via the broader wellness house.
As an alternative of simply being identified 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 had been already selling. The research additionally helped carry yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved apply.
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 printed, 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 had 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 important distinction in bone development between the low-intensity residence group and the supervised power coaching group. And people outcomes had 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 affect on BMD, however the Fishman research claimed yoga (additionally low affect) elevated BMD—what provides?
Why Dr. Fishman’s Research 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 had been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—typically qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), typically quantitatively (by way of bone scans). With out a management group to check the outcomes to, it’s onerous 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 robotically disqualify the work, but it surely does elevate pink flags—particularly provided that he income from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings help using 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 apply for them, however acquainted. One thing they most likely loved. This could have additionally possible impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or had 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.
Meaning making use of a certain quantity of stress to bones to stimulate development.
And as your physique adapts, you will need to improve that stress over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—rising the load or affect 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
Most of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s research 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 rising BMD whereas driving or sleeping.
Within the research, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle teams in opposition to one another in a manner that stimulates bone development. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscle tissue in opposition to one other, yoga exposes bones to better forces and, subsequently, may improve bone mineral density (BMD) greater than different means.”
Sadly, this merely isn’t true.
At finest, yoga entails bodyweight-only power—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 Energy?
Sure—to a degree. However for most individuals—no.
Yoga is a improbable basis for power, significantly 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 power you’ll be able to achieve. Nevertheless it’s nice for constructing endurance in case you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.
One Follow Can’t Do Every part
Let’s be actual: no single apply checks each health field.
Energy 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 affect and cardio, however not power.
Each kind 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 all the pieces 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’re feeling grounded and fewer harassed.
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It improves your flexibility and steadiness.
Do it for all these lovely 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