Does yoga prevent falls?

Does yoga really prevent falls?

Or could it actually increase the risk?

A large clinical trial, called the SAGE trial, just challenged one of the most common assumptions about yoga and balance in older adults.

And the results may surprise even the experts.

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury in older adults. They can lead to fractures, loss of independence, and long‑term disability.

When we talk about fall prevention, it’s important that our recommendations are based on strong scientific evidence—not good intentions or popular beliefs.

Researchers in Australia, led by Dr. Anne Tiedemann, conducted the largest and most rigorous clinical trial of yoga and fall prevention to date. This study set out to answer a simple but important question:

Can an Iyengar-style yoga program reduce the risk of falls in older adults?

Before we go any further, if you want clear, evidence‑based insights on bone health and exercise science, subscribe to BonesLab on YouTube. We’re exercise scientists who review the research for you—and make it easy to understand.

Now, back to the research. 

The SAGE trial recruited 700 older adults. Half were randomly assigned to a virtual Iyengar yoga program, delivered twice a week, with an additional home practice session. The control group participated in a seated yoga‑based relaxation program.

This was a well‑designed randomized controlled trial with enough participants to meaningfully study falls.

Here’s the headline finding:

The rate of falls was 33 percent higher in the Iyengar yoga group compared to the control group. That result may not be what many people expected.

Now, an important clarification.

The number of people who were injured because of a fall was the same between groups. So while falls were more frequent in the yoga group, injuries did not increase.

Participants in the Iyengar yoga group reported improvements in planned physical activity, confidence in their balance, and goal achievement. In other words, people felt more capable—and they were doing more.

But here’s the key insight:

Confidence does not always equal competence. If confidence increases faster than balance‑recovery skills, fall risk can actually increase.

The researchers thoughtfully explored why this might have happened.

Greater confidence may have led participants to engage in more challenging activities, increasing their exposure to situations where falls can occur. In fact, a sub‑analysis showed higher fall rates among participants who were the most physically active.

And fall prevention isn’t just about standing still—it’s about reacting, stepping, and recovering balance when something unexpected happens. The Iyengar yoga program focused on static standing postures.

The yoga program in this study was virtual group exercise, and not individualized and progressed over time. That means participants may not have been challenged enough—or challenged in the right way—to improve balance recovery skills.

There is strong evidence that the most effective fall‑prevention programs include dynamic and functional balance training. Movements like stepping exercises, squats, toe taps on a step, and walking heel‑to‑toe. These types of exercises train the body to respond when balance is lost—not just hold a position. 

So what does this mean for you?

A virtual Iyengar yoga program is unlikely to be an effective stand‑alone strategy for preventing falls.

Yoga isn’t harmful. And if you enjoy it, you should absolutely keep doing it.

Just don’t let it replace a progressive, challenging balance‑training program.

Think of yoga as a supplement—not a substitute.

The SAGE trial is published in a peer-reviewed academic journal and you can find it here: click here to read the academic article