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An Arizona State University study of nationally representative data on more than 55,000 U.S. adults found yoga and Pilates were associated with lower risk of death over roughly a decade. The findings do not show that either practice causes people to live longer, and the researchers said other factors may help explain the association.
Researchers at Arizona State University found that adults who reported practicing yoga or Pilates had a lower risk of death than people who did not, in an analysis of more than 55,000 U.S. adults followed through mortality records for about a decade. The study found associations, not proof that the exercises extend lifespan, and its authors cautioned that differences between practitioners and non-practitioners could account for some or all of the result.
The researchers examined 21 alternative health practices using nationally representative U.S. data linked to mortality records. Of the practices included, yoga and Pilates were the only two reported as associated with a significantly lower risk of death. Yoga practice was associated with a 27% lower risk, while Pilates was associated with a 36% lower risk. These figures describe the study’s reported associations; they do not mean that taking up either activity reduces an individual’s personal risk by those amounts.
According to study co-author Connor Sheehan, an associate professor at Arizona State University, the analysis controlled for several factors, including income, education, exercise, smoking, body mass index and self-rated health. Sheehan said other influences could remain, including access to health care, genetics, economic circumstances and differences in health behaviors. The study’s findings, as described by Athletech News, do not establish that yoga or Pilates caused participants to live longer.
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 in a comparison. The study did not demonstrate that this explanation is responsible for the association, but it is one reason the results require cautious interpretation. The available report does not provide enough detail to establish how often participants practiced, what styles or intensity they undertook, or whether the associations differed across groups.
Movement Stands Out in the Analysis
The results offer a limited data point for people weighing claims about wellness and longevity. In this analysis, yoga and Pilates showed a mortality association while the other 19 practices examined did not show a significant association. That contrast can guide questions for future research, but it does not prove the other practices have no effects, nor does it establish yoga or Pilates as longevity treatments.
Sheehan said the two practices combine physical movement with elements such as strength, balance, breath work and stress management. He also noted that taking classes may add a social component. Those are proposed ways the activities could support health, rather than mechanisms proven by this mortality analysis. The findings may attract attention as wellness spending grows, but readers should distinguish an observational link from evidence that a particular activity changes lifespan.
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What the Researchers Compared
The study was prompted by the expanding use of complementary and alternative health practices and the limited long-term evidence about their relationship to mortality, according to the Athletech News report. Sheehan said more than 40% of U.S. adults use at least one such practice, ranging from acupuncture and chiropractic care to specialized diets. The analysis set out to compare 21 practices against mortality outcomes rather than test a single intervention in a clinical trial.
The distinction matters: researchers observed reported practices in a large population and compared outcomes, rather than assigning people to begin yoga, Pilates or another activity. Such an approach can identify patterns, but it cannot rule out all differences in health, resources or behavior that might affect both participation and survival. The report also cited an industry estimate that the Pilates and yoga market could reach $521 billion by 2035; that is a market projection, not a finding from the mortality study.
“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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Cause and Effect Remain Unproven
The analysis cannot show whether yoga or Pilates themselves lowered mortality risk. Although researchers accounted for several measured factors, unmeasured differences—including health-care access, genetics, economic circumstances or other habits—may have influenced the results. The possibility that people with serious illness are less likely to participate also remains relevant.
The report does not specify enough about practice frequency, duration or type to determine what level of activity was associated with the findings. It also does not establish whether the reported percentages apply equally across ages or other demographic groups. The figures should not be read as an individual forecast or as a guarantee that beginning either practice will extend life.
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Further Studies Needed on Wellness
Sheehan said more research is needed as wellness practices change and new products and routines gain popularity. Follow-up studies could examine how often and how long people practice yoga or Pilates, account for health differences that may affect participation, and test whether associations persist in other populations. Research could also clarify whether specific features—such as movement, breathing, stress management or social contact—are linked to outcomes.
For now, the reported finding is an observational association, not a recommendation to use yoga or Pilates as a substitute for medical care or as a proven way to increase lifespan. The next useful evidence would need to establish whether the pattern holds under closer examination and which factors, if any, explain it.
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Key Questions
What did the study find about yoga and Pilates?
In an analysis of more than 55,000 U.S. adults, yoga was associated with a 27% lower risk of death and Pilates with a 36% lower risk. The data covered about a decade of mortality records. These are associations reported by the study, not proof of a causal effect.
Does the study prove yoga or Pilates makes people live longer?
No. The research compared reported practices and mortality outcomes; it did not establish that either activity caused longer life. Other differences between people who practice and those who do not could help explain the results.
Which other alternative health practices were examined?
The researchers examined 21 alternative health practices. The report says yoga and Pilates were the only two associated with a significantly lower risk of death; it does not provide a complete list of all 21 practices.
What could explain the association?
Possible explanations include the physical activity and other features of yoga and Pilates, but these were not proven as causes in this study. Sheehan also said factors such as health-care access, genetics and underlying health could affect the results, including the possibility that people who are already unwell are less able to participate.
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