Why Yoga Isn’t Sufficient to Enhance Bone Density

Can yoga truly enhance bone density?

If you happen to ask Google, you’ll discover all kinds of sources 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, applications, and movies promising that can assist 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 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 research that implies yoga can enhance bone mineral density (BMD) within the backbone and femoral neck—probably decreasing the chance 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 area.

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

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

What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Development

Curiously, the identical yr Dr. Fishman’s research was printed, 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 had 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 per week for half-hour over an eight-month interval.

The outcomes? There was a vital distinction in bone development between the low-intensity residence 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 influence on BMD, however the Fishman research 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 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). With no management group to check the outcomes to, it’s exhausting 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 crimson flags—particularly provided that he income from yoga books, applications, and trainings if the findings help using his services.

4. It’s not a blind or double blind research.

Each one who participated was already a yoga practitioner after they began. It wasn’t a brand new observe 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 had 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, you must stress bone.

Meaning making use of a certain quantity of stress to bones to stimulate development.

And as your physique adapts, it’s essential to enhance that stress 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 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 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 method that stimulates bone development. He wrote:

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

Sadly, this merely isn’t true.

At finest, yoga includes bodyweight-only drive—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 a degree. However for most individuals—no.

Yoga is a improbable basis for power, notably should 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 power you possibly can achieve. But it surely’s nice for constructing endurance should you maintain poses for longer than a number of breaths.

One Follow Can’t Do All the pieces

Let’s be actual: no single observe 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 affords 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 fashion of motion can not do every little thing our our bodies have to be wholesome.