exercise for bones

If you are not active, your bones lose strength. Bones get stronger when you use them. Even a small amount of exercise can help your bones.

Moving and exercising help to make your bones stronger. The best way to help your bone strength is to do both impact and strength exercises.

Balance exercises also help make your muscles stronger and keep you steady. This means you will be less likely to fall over and break a bone.

You can keep active in your daily activities. You can also keep active by following our impact and strength exercise plans. Or you may choose to go to a gym or group exercise classes. The most important thing is to keep active in the way that works best for you.

It is important to build up exercise for your bones gradually based on your fitness levels and muscle strength.

Impact exercise

Impact exercise happens when you are on your feet and you add an extra force through your bones. The force travels through your bones. This helps to maintain or improve your bone strength. The impact comes each time your feet hit the ground.

You can do impact exercise in your daily activities and by doing specific exercises or leisure activities. Examples of impact exercise include heel drops, walking, stair climbing, jogging, dancing or playing tennis. The level of impact you get will depend on the type of exercise you do.

Find out more about impact exercise for your bones.

Strength exercise

Strength exercise involves moving your muscles against resistance to make them stronger. Resistance can come from your own body weight, a resistance band or weights, like dumbbells. As your muscles work, they pull on your bones. This maintains or improves their strength.

Carrying bags of shopping and gardening are examples of activities you can do in your everyday life to make your muscles stronger.

Strength training can also help your bone strength. It involves gradually building up the weight you lift to make your muscles stronger. As you train, you will find the movements get easier as your muscles get stronger.

Find out more about strength exercise for your bones.

As we get older, it is still important to exercise for our bones.

Staying active can help reduce the loss of bone and muscle strength and improve your balance. Older adults should try to be active every day. This could be going for a walk, doing housework or seated exercises. Choose the activity and level of intensity that is right for you.

If you can, aim to build up your impact and strength exercises to maintain or improve your bone strength.

Healthy habits, like regular exercise and a balanced diet, are important for your bone health. But exercise is not a replacement for an osteoporosis medicine.

If you have a high chance of broken bones, the best way to keep your bones strong is to take an osteoporosis medicine and have healthy habits.