Millions of Americans Practice Yoga

There's a reason you see so many people walking down the street with yoga mats. Millions of Americans practice yoga, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report. The NCHS regards yoga as a "complementary" medicine—meaning a form of alternative medicine for health and wellness. Every now and then it surveys the population to determine just how many people practice (or "use") yoga. An increasing number of them, it seems. In 2017, a substantial 14.3 percent of adults aged 18 or older had used yoga in the past 12 months—more than 35 million people. This figure is up from 9.5 percent in 2012. The use of yoga varies by demographic characteristic, of course...

• 20 percent of women practice yoga versus 9 percent of men.
• Yoga is most popular among younger adults. In the 18-to-44 age group, 18 percent practiced yoga in the past 12 months. The figure was 12 percent among 45-to-64-year-olds, and 7 percent among people aged 65 or older. 
• 17 percent of non-Hispanic Whites practiced yoga in the past 12 months. The figure was 9 percent among Blacks and 8 percent among Hispanics.

The practice of yoga has become more mainstream, the NCHS concludes.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors among U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Over

The Big Business of Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is big business. Americans spend $30 billion annually out-of-pocket on what the federal government calls "complementary health" practitioners and products, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Complementary health practitioners are those who provide acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic services, massage, energy healing therapy, yoga, and tai chi, among other services. Complementary health products include fish oil, co-enzyme Q10, ginseng, melatonin, probiotics, and many other herbs or nonvitamin supplements.

How much is $30 billion? It's 1.1 percent of total health care expenditures in the United States. It's 9.2 percent of total out-of-pocket health care expenditures. The $12 billion portion devoted to natural products is 24 percent of the amount Americans spend out-of-pocket on prescription drugs. The $15 billion portion devoted to complementary health practitioners is 30 percent of the amount Americans spend out-of-pocket on physician visits.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, Expenditures on Complementary Health Approaches: United States, 2012