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 kinds 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 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 research that implies yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly 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 study got here out. It was a giant deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by means of the broader wellness house.

As a substitute 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 observe.

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

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development

Apparently, the identical yr Dr. Fishman’s research 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 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 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 research 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 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 folks not doing yoga. They had been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—generally qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), generally quantitatively (by way of bone scans). And not using a management group to match the outcomes to, it’s arduous 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, but it surely does increase crimson flags—particularly on condition that he earnings from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings help the usage of 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 observe for them, however acquainted. One thing they in all probability loved. This might have additionally possible 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 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 a must to stress bone.

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

And as your physique adapts, it’s essential to enhance that stress 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 drive to considerably enhance 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 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 progress. He wrote:

“By pitting one group of muscle tissues in opposition to one other, yoga exposes bones to higher 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 drive—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 Power?

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

Yoga is a incredible basis for power, significantly should 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 possibly can acquire. Nevertheless it’s nice for constructing endurance should you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.

One Follow Can’t Do Every part

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

Power 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 gives impression 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 fashion of motion can not do the whole lot our our bodies should be wholesome.