Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga really enhance bone density?

In the event you ask Google, you’ll discover all kinds 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, packages, 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 foremost 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 enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—doubtlessly lowering the chance of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The research was titled, “12-Minute Each 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 an enormous deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by means of the broader wellness house.

As a substitute 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 lecturers now had scientific backing for what they had been already selling. The research additionally helped convey yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved apply.

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

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development

Curiously, the identical 12 months Dr. Fishman’s research 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 dwelling, 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 dwelling 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 Brief

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 (through bone scans). With out a management group to match the outcomes to, it’s laborious 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 increase purple flags—particularly provided that he income from yoga books, packages, and trainings if the findings help the usage of 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 in all probability 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 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 important to stress bone.

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

And as your physique adapts, you need to enhance 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 pressure 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 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 progress. He wrote:

“By pitting one group of muscle tissues in opposition to one other, yoga exposes bones to higher forces and, subsequently, would possibly improve bone mineral density (BMD) greater than different means.”

Sadly, this merely isn’t true.

At greatest, yoga includes bodyweight-only pressure—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want vital 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 in the event you’re new to motion, recovering from harm 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 possibly can achieve. But it surely’s nice for constructing endurance in the event you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.

One Apply Can’t Do The whole lot

Let’s be actual: no single apply 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 received’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and provides 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 type of motion can’t do all the things our our bodies have to be wholesome.