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An Arizona State University study using data from more than 55,000 U.S. adults found yoga and Pilates were associated with lower risk of death among 21 alternative health practices examined. The reported reductions were 27% for yoga and 36% for Pilates, but the observational findings do not show that either practice caused people to live longer.
Researchers at Arizona State University found that yoga and Pilates were associated with a lower risk of death in an analysis of more than 55,000 U.S. adults, with mortality records tracked over about a decade. The study examined 21 alternative health practices, but its observational results do not establish that either activity caused people to live longer.
In the analysis, yoga practice was associated with a 27% lower risk of death, while Pilates was associated with a 36% lower risk, compared with people who did not report those practices, according to the Athletech News account of the study. The source does not give further details about how often participants practiced, how the activities were defined, or the exact statistical estimates behind the percentages.
The researchers used nationally representative data and linked it to mortality records covering roughly 10 years. They examined 21 alternative health practices; only yoga and Pilates were reported as associated with a significantly lower risk of death. The account does not specify the names or results for each of the other practices.
Study co-author Connor Sheehan, an associate professor at ASU, said the team adjusted for factors including income, education, exercise, smoking, body mass index and self-rated health. Those adjustments can account for some differences between participants, but they do not eliminate all possible influences on the association.
Movement Practices Show the Signal
The results add population-level evidence to questions about whether popular wellness practices are associated with longevity. Of the 21 practices examined, the reported mortality signal was limited to two activities involving movement, rather than a broad range of alternative therapies. That distinction may help readers separate findings about specific practices from general claims about wellness products or treatments.
The findings are not a reason to treat yoga or Pilates as proven methods for extending life. The analysis identifies an association, not a cause, and does not establish how much practice might be needed or whether the apparent difference would remain in other groups. Still, the results point to a research question with practical relevance as consumers spend money and time on approaches they hope will improve health.
Sheehan told Athletech News that yoga and Pilates combine physical activity with strength, balance, breath work and stress management. He also noted that attending a class can add a social element. Those are explanations offered by the researcher for why the activities might be associated with health outcomes; the mortality analysis, as described in the source, does not show which elements mattered or measure their separate effects.
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What the Researchers Compared
The study was prompted by the growing use of complementary and alternative health practices and limited evidence about their relationship to long-term outcomes. Sheehan said that more than 40% of U.S. adults use at least one such practice, citing examples including acupuncture, chiropractic care and specialized diets. That figure is presented in the source as context for the research, not as a result of the mortality analysis.
The investigators used a large, nationally representative sample and compared reported use of 21 practices with later mortality records. The source says the analysis followed records for about a decade, but does not provide the study’s formal title, journal, publication date, participant age range or the specific data years. Those missing details limit how precisely readers can assess the study’s design from the account alone.
The reported market projection is also separate from the health finding: the source says the yoga and Pilates market is expected to reach $521 billion by 2035. That forecast does not show that the study caused changes in demand, nor does market growth validate a longevity claim.
“Of all the alternative health practices out there, the two with the strongest longevity signal are ones rooted in physical movement, not the more exotic-sounding therapies.”
— Connor Sheehan, ASU associate professor and study co-author
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Limits of the Longevity Link
The central uncertainty is whether yoga or Pilates themselves account for the lower mortality risks. Because the study is described as observational, it cannot rule out confounding factors or show that starting either practice would change an individual’s lifespan. Sheehan cited possible differences in access to health care, genetics and economic circumstances, as well as participants’ broader tendency to take care of their health.
Health differences could also affect who is able to participate. If people in poorer health are less likely to practice yoga or Pilates, their absence from the participant group could contribute to an apparent protective association. The researcher raised this possibility directly; the source does not report whether the study could fully account for it.
The available account does not provide details such as practice frequency, duration, participant demographics, the comparison group’s characteristics, or confidence intervals. It also does not identify all 21 practices or explain the precise statistical threshold used for “significantly lower.” Those details would be needed to judge the size and reliability of the estimates more fully.
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Further Studies Needed
The next step is additional research that can test whether the association holds across different populations and clarify how practice frequency, duration and class participation relate to outcomes. Researchers could also examine whether physical activity, stress management or social connection accounts for any of the observed relationship. The source does not report a planned follow-up study or a publication schedule.
Sheehan argued that rapidly changing wellness habits warrant more study, citing practices such as cold plunges, red-light therapy and supplements as examples of areas needing evidence. Those practices were not established as beneficial by the yoga and Pilates findings. For now, the study offers a signal for further investigation, not proof that any practice extends life.
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Key Questions
What did the study find about yoga and mortality?
Yoga was associated with a 27% lower risk of death in the analysis, according to the source. The result does not prove that yoga caused the lower risk.
What did it find about Pilates?
Pilates was associated with a 36% lower risk of death. As with yoga, the finding is observational and does not establish cause and effect.
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. Mortality records covered about a decade, according to the source.
Does the study show that yoga or Pilates makes people live longer?
No. It reports an association, not proof that either activity extends lifespan. Differences in health, income, health-care access and other factors could help explain the results.
What remains unknown about the findings?
The supplied account does not give details such as how often participants practiced, the exact data years, the study’s publication information or statistical confidence intervals. It also does not establish which elements of yoga or Pilates, if any, relate to the association.
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