Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga truly enhance bone density?

In the event 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 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 at least one fundamental 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 implies yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly decreasing the danger 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 a giant deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by way of the broader wellness house.

As an alternative of simply being identified for rest, 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 examine additionally helped convey yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved follow.

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

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Progress

Curiously, 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 vital historical past of train and low bone mineral density. Contributors had been break 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 development 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 influence on BMD, however the Fishman examine claimed yoga (additionally low influence) elevated BMD—what offers?

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 are feeling?”), typically quantitatively (by way of 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 on condition that he income from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings help 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 might have additionally probably impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or had been merely extra inclined to remain dedicated to doing the poses persistently.

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 important to stress bone.

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

And as your physique adapts, you could enhance that strain over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—rising the load or impact 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

Most 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 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 development. He wrote:

“By pitting one group of muscle tissues towards 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 greatest, 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 Energy?

Sure—to some extent. However for most individuals—no.

Yoga is a improbable basis for power, significantly if you happen to’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 achieve. However it’s nice for constructing endurance if you happen to maintain poses for longer than just a few breaths.

One Observe Can’t Do Every little thing

Let’s be actual: no single follow 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 gained’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and presents influence and cardio, however not power.

Each kind 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 type of motion can’t do every little thing our our bodies must be wholesome.