Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss

OBJECTIVE: Assess the effectiveness of selected yoga postures in raising bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: Ten-year study of 741 Internet-recruited volunteers comparing preyoga BMD changes with postyoga BMD changes. OUTCOME MEASURES: Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans. Optional radiographs of hips and spine and bone quality study (7 Tesla). RESULTS: Bone mineral density improved in spine, hips, and femur of the 227 moderately and fully compliant patients. Monthly gain in BMD was significant in spine (0.0029 g/cm(2), P = .005) and femur (0.00022 g/cm(2), P = .053), but in 1 cohort, although mean gain in hip BMD was 50%, large individual differences raised the confidence interval and the gain was not significant for total hip (0.000357 g/cm(2)). No yoga-related serious injuries were imaged or reported. Bone quality appeared qualitatively improved in yoga practitioners. CONCLUSION: Yoga appears to raise BMD in the spine and the femur safely.