Can yoga truly enhance bone density?
When you ask Google, you’ll discover all types of sources 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 hundreds 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 at least one major 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 examine that means yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—probably decreasing the danger of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The examine 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 an enormous deal within the yoga world and despatched ripples by the broader wellness area.
As an alternative of simply being recognized for rest, 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 academics now had scientific backing for what they have been already selling. The examine 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 examine’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development
Apparently, the identical yr Dr. Fishman’s examine was revealed, so was the LIFTMOR trial.
The LIFTMOR trial additionally studied osteoporosis—particularly in postmenopausal ladies with no vital historical past of train and low bone mineral density. Members have 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 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 examine claimed yoga (additionally low affect) 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 folks not doing yoga. They have been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—typically qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), typically quantitatively (by way of bone scans). With no management group to check the outcomes to, it’s arduous 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 elevate purple flags—particularly on condition that he income from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings assist the usage of 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 apply for them, however acquainted. One thing they in all probability loved. This is able to have additionally seemingly 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 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 certain quantity of stress to bones to stimulate progress.
And as your physique adapts, you need to enhance that stress over time. That is what progressive overload is all about—growing the burden 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 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 examine, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle teams towards one another in a means that stimulates bone progress. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscle mass towards 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 power—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 Energy?
Sure—to a degree. However for most individuals—no.
Yoga is a improbable basis for power, significantly in the event 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 finally plateau in how a lot power you possibly can acquire. But it surely’s nice for constructing endurance in the event you maintain poses for longer than just a few breaths.
One Observe Can’t Do Every little thing
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 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 every thing our our bodies must 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 burdened.
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It improves your flexibility and stability.
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/submit/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density
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