It was brought to my attention last week that there have been new studies to warrant the claim that yoga assists with improving the conditions of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Hence, I thought it appropriate to revisit the topic once again.

In June, I blogged a short summary, Honor Your Bones, which touched on some primary asanas that were thought to help stop or even reverse bone density loss.  For years, yoga has been touted as a boon for remodeling bone. However, the lack of research studies on the subject prevented the practice from being considered a source of treatment for the condition.

This recent study, Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss (by Dr. Loren Fishman and others) concludes that over a ten year period (from 2005-2015), participants who consistently practiced 12 specific yoga poses had reverse bone loss and improved bone quality in the spine and femur.

Variation in measurements and skill levels prevented the researchers from seeing a significant change in the hip area.

However, what is most important was that none of the 741 participants reported any type of fracture or serious injury during the 10 year study. Yet there were 109 fractures initially reported at the pre-study. This points to the larger fact that yoga improves balance, posture, alignment, and flexibility – qualities which directly protect a person from falling, and, therefore, fracturing a bone.

Nevertheless, we still have to condition this remarkable result with “of course, none of the information in this article is intended to be medical advice and you should talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise plan.”

When it’s all said and done, the proof is in the pudding…