Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga really enhance bone density?

If you happen to 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 1000’s of hits for books, packages, and movies promising that can assist 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 1 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 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 research was titled, “12-Minute Day by day Yoga Routine Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”

The Examine That Made Waves within the Yoga World

I keep 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 via 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 research additionally helped carry yoga additional into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved follow.

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

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Progress

Curiously, the identical 12 months Dr. Fishman’s research was revealed, 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 have 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 progress between the low-intensity residence group and the supervised energy 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 influence on BMD, however the Fishman research claimed yoga (additionally low influence) elevated BMD—what provides?

Why Dr. Fishman’s Examine 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 have been merely doing 12 poses and monitoring their progress—generally qualitatively (“how do you’re feeling?”), generally quantitatively (by way of bone scans). With no 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 mechanically disqualify the work, however it does increase purple flags—particularly on condition that he income from yoga books, packages, 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 who participated was already a yoga practitioner once they began. It wasn’t a brand new follow for them, however acquainted. One thing they most likely 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 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 strain to bones to stimulate progress.

And as your physique adapts, you have to enhance that strain 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

Lots of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s research 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 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 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 drive—about the identical as strolling your canine. And research repeatedly present that bones want important load or influence 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 incredible basis for energy, 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 finally plateau in how a lot energy you’ll be able to achieve. However it’s nice for constructing endurance in the event you maintain poses for longer than a couple of breaths.

One Apply Can’t Do Every part

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

Energy coaching builds muscle and bone, however it’s not cardio. Biking is nice for cardiovascular well being, however it received’t enhance bone density. Dance is enjoyable and expressive and provides influence and cardio, however not energy.

Each sort 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 not do every little thing our our bodies have to be wholesome.