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Researchers analyzing data from more than 55,000 U.S. adults found yoga and Pilates were associated with lower risk of death over about a decade. The study does not establish that either practice causes longer life, and the researchers say other differences between practitioners and non-practitioners may help explain the results.
An analysis of more than 55,000 U.S. adults found that people who practiced yoga or Pilates had a lower risk of death than those who did not, according to research by Arizona State University researchers. The findings are associations, not proof that either practice extends life: of 21 alternative health practices examined, yoga and Pilates were the only two linked to a significantly lower mortality risk.
Researchers used nationally representative survey data linked to mortality records spanning about a decade. The analysis found yoga was associated with a 27% lower risk of death and Pilates with a 36% lower risk. Those figures describe relative associations reported by the study, not a guarantee that an individual practitioner will live longer or a direct estimate of added years of life.
The researchers adjusted for several factors that can affect health and mortality, including income, education, exercise, smoking, body mass index and self-rated health. Even with those adjustments, the analysis cannot rule out other explanations. The study’s co-author, Arizona State University associate professor Connor Sheehan, said access to health care, genetics and economic circumstances could influence both participation in these activities and mortality outcomes.
Sheehan also raised the possibility of reverse causation: people in poorer health may be less able to take part in yoga or Pilates, making the practices appear protective when participants were healthier to begin with. The source report does not provide the full study methods, the exact follow-up period for each participant or details of how often people practiced.
Movement Practices Stand Out
The result offers a comparative finding in a field where consumers have many wellness options but long-term evidence is limited. In this analysis, two movement-based practices showed a significant association with mortality, while the other 19 practices examined did not. That does not establish that the other approaches are ineffective; it means this study did not find the same significant link for them.
Yoga and Pilates can combine physical activity, strength and balance work with breathing exercises and stress management. Sheehan suggested that group classes may also provide social connection. Those features offer plausible reasons for further study, but the analysis does not identify which elements, if any, account for the observed association.
The findings may draw attention to yoga and Pilates as options for people seeking regular movement, but they should not be read as a prescription or a substitute for medical care. The study does not show that starting either practice will reduce a person’s individual risk of death. Its main public-health value is to point researchers toward questions that can be tested more directly.
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A Wider Wellness Research Gap
The research was motivated by growing use of complementary and alternative health practices alongside mainstream health care. Sheehan told Athletech News that more than 40% of U.S. adults use at least one such practice, including options such as acupuncture, chiropractic care and specialized diets. He said evidence about whether these practices are associated with living longer remains limited.
The study examined 21 practices against mortality outcomes using a large U.S. adult dataset. Its reported finding is narrower than a general endorsement of wellness products or services: only yoga and Pilates had a statistically significant lower-risk association in the analysis. The source report does not list all 21 practices or provide their individual estimates, so it is not possible from the available material to compare each one.
Sheehan has also called for research into newer and rapidly changing wellness behaviors, including cold plunging, red-light therapy and supplements. The report mentioned a market forecast that the yoga and Pilates market could reach $521 billion by 2035, but that projection is not a finding from the mortality study and does not establish that market growth reflects health benefits.
““Maybe the sickest people are too unhealthy to do yoga or Pilates to begin with, so the practice looks protective when really it’s just excluding the least healthy.””
— Connor Sheehan
Association Is Not Causation
The analysis cannot establish that yoga or Pilates caused lower mortality. People who practice them may differ from non-practitioners in ways that were not fully captured by the adjustments, including health-care access, genetics, economic circumstances or other health behaviors. The possibility that people who are already ill are less likely to participate also remains unresolved.
The source report does not specify the number of deaths, the participants’ practice frequency or duration, or the absolute risk in either group. Without those details, readers cannot translate the relative reductions into an individual’s likely benefit. It is also unclear from the available report whether the findings apply equally across age groups, health conditions or different styles of yoga and Pilates.
More Research Needed on Longevity
The immediate next step is further research that can test whether the association holds when practice is measured in greater detail and potential differences between participants are more fully addressed. Studies that track changes in activity over time, report absolute as well as relative risks, and examine participant subgroups could help clarify how the findings should be interpreted.
Sheehan has called for broader investigation of wellness behaviors as they evolve, including practices that have become popular more recently. Until additional evidence is available, the current result remains an observational finding: yoga and Pilates were associated with lower mortality in this dataset, but a direct longevity effect has not been demonstrated.
Key Questions
Did the study prove that yoga and Pilates make people live longer?
No. The study found associations with lower mortality risk, but it cannot show that either practice caused the difference.
How much lower was the reported risk?
Yoga was associated with a 27% lower risk of death, and Pilates with a 36% lower risk. These are relative associations reported by the study, not estimates of extra years of life or guaranteed personal benefits.
How many people and practices were included?
The researchers analyzed nationally representative data from more than 55,000 U.S. adults and examined 21 alternative health practices. The data were linked to mortality records covering about a decade.
Were yoga and Pilates the only practices linked to lower mortality?
They were the only two of the 21 practices reported as having a significantly lower risk of death. That does not prove the other practices have no benefits; it means the analysis did not find the same significant association for them.
What could explain the results besides the practices themselves?
Participants may differ in health, health-care access, genetics, income or other behaviors. Researchers also raised the possibility that people who are too unwell to participate may be overrepresented among non-practitioners, which could make the practices appear protective.
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