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An analysis of more than 55,000 U.S. adults found that yoga and Pilates were associated with lower risks of death over about a decade. The researchers say the observational findings do not establish that either practice causes people to live longer.
An Arizona State University study found that, among 21 alternative health practices examined, only yoga and Pilates were associated with a significantly lower risk of death. The analysis drew on data from more than 55,000 U.S. adults and mortality records spanning about a decade, but researchers cautioned that the results do not prove the practices extend lifespan.
The researchers reported that people who practiced yoga had a 27% lower risk of death, while those who practiced Pilates had a 36% lower risk, compared with people who did not report those practices. The source account does not specify the precise comparison group construction or provide confidence intervals for these estimates, so the figures describe associations reported by the study, not guaranteed individual benefits.
The analysis considered 21 alternative health practices using nationally representative data on U.S. adults, linked to death records over roughly ten years. According to study co-author Connor Sheehan, the team adjusted for factors including income, education, exercise, smoking, body mass index and self-rated health. Yoga and Pilates were the only practices in the analysis reported as having a significantly lower mortality risk.
Sheehan said the possible connection could reflect features shared by these movement-based practices, including strength and balance training, physical activity, breath work and stress management. He also pointed to the social element of taking classes. Those explanations are possible mechanisms offered by the researcher; the reported analysis does not establish that any one of them accounts for the association.
Movement Practices Stand Out
The findings add population-level evidence to a market where consumers are offered a wide range of wellness and longevity practices, while long-term evidence for many remains limited. The result is not a recommendation to replace medical care or a promise of a longer life; it identifies an association that researchers say merits further study.
For readers weighing exercise options, yoga and Pilates can involve regular movement, and classes may also provide opportunities for social connection. But the study does not show that beginning either activity will reduce an individual’s mortality risk by the reported percentages. Differences in health, resources and other behaviors may help explain who takes part and who lives longer.
The report also highlights a research gap as wellness habits change. Sheehan said Americans use a range of complementary and alternative practices, while comparatively little is known about how those practices relate to long-term health outcomes. He called for more systematic research rather than relying on enthusiasm or personal experience to judge longevity claims.
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A Wide Field of Wellness Practices
The study was prompted by growing use of complementary and alternative approaches to health and the limited evidence about their relationship to lifespan. 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 report; it is not a result of the mortality analysis itself.
The study’s comparison covered 21 practices, but the supplied report does not list all of them or provide each practice’s estimate. It says yoga and Pilates alone showed a significantly lower risk of death. That does not mean the other practices were found harmful, or that the research established they have no health benefits; it means no comparable significant mortality association was reported for them in this analysis.
The report also cited a forecast that the yoga and Pilates market could reach $521 billion by 2035. That is a projected market value, not a finding of the mortality study, and it does not establish that the reported association will affect demand.
“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
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Association Is Not Cause
The analysis was observational, so it cannot show that yoga or Pilates caused the lower mortality risk. Researchers adjusted for several factors, but other differences may remain. Sheehan cited access to health care, genetics, economic circumstances and broader self-care habits as factors that could affect the results.
Reverse causation is another possibility: people in poor health may be less able to take part in these activities. The supplied report does not provide details such as how often participants practiced, how long they had practiced, or whether the associations differed by age or other groups. It also does not include the study’s full methods, statistical uncertainty estimates or a complete list of the 21 practices, leaving those details unclear here.
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Further Research Needed
The next step is more research that can test whether the observed relationship persists across different populations and clarify how practice frequency, duration and participants’ health affect the results. The source report does not announce a follow-up study or give a timeline for additional findings.
Sheehan said researchers should study wellness behaviors as they evolve, including practices such as cold plunging, red-light therapy and supplements. Until more evidence is available, the reported percentages should be treated as study findings—not as a forecast of how long an individual will live or proof that taking up yoga or Pilates changes mortality.
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Key Questions
Did the study prove yoga and Pilates make people live longer?
No. It found an association between practicing yoga or Pilates and lower mortality risk. The observational analysis cannot establish that either practice caused the difference.
How much lower was the reported risk?
The report gives estimates of a 27% lower risk for yoga and a 36% lower risk for Pilates. These are study associations, not guaranteed reductions in any individual’s risk.
How many people and practices were included?
The researchers used data on more than 55,000 U.S. adults and examined 21 alternative health practices, linking participants’ records to mortality data over about a decade.
Why might yoga and Pilates be associated with lower mortality?
Study co-author Connor Sheehan suggested that movement, strength and balance work, breath practices, stress management and social connection could be relevant. The analysis did not establish which, if any, explains the association.
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