Can yoga actually improve bone density?
If you ask Google, you’ll find all sorts of resources saying yes—yoga is an effective method for building bone density and preventing osteoporotic fractures, like hip or femur breaks from falls.
A search for “Yoga for Osteoporosis” pulls up thousands of hits for books, programs, and videos promising to help you build better bones with a low-impact yoga practice. Even Yoga with Adriene has a “Yoga for Bone Health” video on her channel, which reaches over 12 million subscribers.
But most of those links trace back to one main source: the work of Dr. Loren Fishman, author of several books including Yoga for Osteoporosis. He’s also the co-author of a 2015 study that suggests yoga can increase bone mineral density (BMD) in the spine and femoral neck—potentially reducing the risk of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The study was titled, “12-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”
The Study That Made Waves in the Yoga World
I remember when the news of Dr. Fishman’s study came out. It was a big deal in the yoga world and sent ripples through the broader wellness space.
Instead of just being known for relaxation, yoga could now be seen as a one-stop-shop for all your fitness needs.
It was great news for yoga practitioners—and great for business, too. Studios and teachers now had scientific backing for what they were already promoting. The study also helped bring yoga further into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved practice.
But the bigger question remained: Are the study’s findings legit?
What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Growth
Interestingly, the same year Dr. Fishman’s study was published, so was the LIFTMOR trial.
The LIFTMOR trial also studied osteoporosis—specifically in postmenopausal women with no significant history of exercise and low bone mineral density. Participants were split into two groups: one did low-impact movement at home, while the other did supervised high-intensity progressive resistance training (HiPRT). Each group exercised twice a week for 30 minutes over an eight-month period.
The results? There was a significant difference in bone growth between the low-intensity home group and the supervised strength training group. And those results were replicated in multiple similar trials that followed.
Even better? The resistance training group had no injuries reported.
So, if low-impact movement had minimal impact on BMD, but the Fishman study claimed yoga (also low impact) increased BMD—what gives?
Why Dr. Fishman’s Study Falls Short
There are several flaws in Dr. Fishman’s study that make the results less scientifically valid.
1. No control group. This means they’re not comparing the results of people doing yoga to people not doing yoga. They were simply doing 12 poses and tracking their progress—sometimes qualitatively (“how do you feel?”), sometimes quantitatively (via bone scans). Without a control group to compare the results to, it’s hard to draw reliable conclusions from the findings in this study.
2. The study hasn’t been independently replicated. It lacks enough detail for others to reproduce it and validate the findings.
3. Potential for bias. Dr. Fishman funded the study himself. That doesn’t automatically disqualify the work, but it does raise red flags—especially given that he profits from yoga books, programs, and trainings if the findings support the use of his products and services.
4. It’s not a blind or double blind study.
Every person who participated was already a yoga practitioner when they started. It wasn’t a new practice for them, but familiar. Something they probably enjoyed. This would have also likely impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or were simply more inclined to stay committed to doing the poses consistently.
Together, these factors limit the study’s validity and scientific rigor.
The Real Science Behind Building Bone Density
Here’s what we do know: to build bone, you have to stress bone.
That means applying a certain amount of pressure to bones to stimulate growth.
And as your body adapts, you must increase that pressure over time. This is what progressive overload is all about—increasing the weight or impact to keep your bones responding and getting stronger.
Put simply, yoga doesn’t apply enough force to significantly increase bone density.
Let’s Get Practical: What Yoga Can (and Can’t) Do
Many of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s study were standing, but some were seated. One was supine and inactive—savasana, pose #12.
If seated and supine positions built stronger bones, we’d all be increasing BMD while driving or sleeping.
In the study, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle groups against each other in a way that stimulates bone growth. He wrote:
“By pitting one group of muscles against another, yoga exposes bones to greater forces and, therefore, might enhance bone mineral density (BMD) more than other means.”
Unfortunately, this simply isn’t true.
At best, yoga involves bodyweight-only force—about the same as walking your dog. And studies repeatedly show that bones need significant load or impact to grow: things like lifting heavy weights or jumping.
So, Can Yoga Help You Build Strength?
Yes—to a point. But for most people—no.
Yoga is a fantastic foundation for strength, particularly if you’re new to movement, recovering from injury or illness, or working on reconnecting with your body.
Because it uses bodyweight only (plus gravity), you’ll eventually plateau in how much strength you can gain. But it’s great for building endurance if you hold poses for longer than a few breaths.
One Practice Can’t Do Everything
Let’s be real: no single practice checks every fitness box.
Strength training builds muscle and bone, but it’s not cardio. Cycling is great for cardiovascular health, but it won’t improve bone density. Dance is fun and expressive and offers impact and cardio, but not strength.
Every type of movement has its strengths and limitations—and that’s okay.
The point is simply to say that our bodies need variety and one style of movement cannot do everything our bodies need to be healthy.
Do Yoga for the Right Reasons
Do yoga because:
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It feels good in your body.
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It strengthens your mind-body connection.
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It helps you feel grounded and less stressed.
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It improves your flexibility and balance.
Do it for all those beautiful reasons and more.
But don’t do yoga expecting it to increase your bone density. It won’t. —Naomi
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4851231/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26243363/
https://www.karinweinstein.com/post/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density
