If you\u2019re worried about becoming frail in your later years, you need to start building bone strength decades in advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround the age of 40, our natural bone remodeling process shifts,\u201d explains Mark Harris, a certified strength and conditioning coach and ambassador for weighted vest brand Mirafit. <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe body begins to absorb old bone tissue faster than it creates new bone, leading to a steady decline in bone density.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest Videos FromFit&Well<\/p>\n He explains that this loss of bone tissue continues to accelerate significantly as we age, particularly for women during and after menopause<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we do nothing, our bones become more fragile,\u201d says Harris, who recommends regular exercise to combat this.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n \u201cBones respond to two main things: mechanical tension\u2014where muscles pull against the bone during strength exercises\u2014and impact, where forces travel through the skeleton as your feet strike the ground,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cBy including both in your training, you give your body the stimulus it needs to help maintain stronger bones.\u201d<\/p>\n He has chosen the following three exercises because, when performed in sequence, they apply both mechanical tension and ground reaction forces.<\/p>\n \u201cThese physical stressors act as an alarm system, signaling the body’s bone-building cells [osteoblasts] to spring into action, lay down new tissue, and actively reverse that accelerated bone loss,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The full workout should take around 15 minutes if you do three rounds of the three exercises:<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n Kettlebell goblet squat x10-12Standing dumbbell overhead press x10-12Pogo hop x20-30sec<\/p>\n Below Harris guides you through each move.<\/p>\n 1. Goblet squat<\/p>\n Rounds: 3 Reps: 10-12<\/p>\n How to do it:<\/p>\n Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.Hold a kettlebell by its rounded body, close to your chest.Brace your core, push your hips back and bend your knees.Lower yourself as deep as you comfortably can while keeping your chest up and heels flat on the floor.Push through your feet to come back to a standing position.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hips <\/a>and femur <\/a>are among the areas most vulnerable to bone density loss with age, so lower-body strength work should be a priority,\u201d says Harris.<\/p>\n \u201cHolding a weight close to your chest while squatting increases the load through these bones, encouraging the body to maintain bone strength while also building stronger legs and glutes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Standing dumbbell overhead press<\/p>\n Rounds: 3 Reps: 10-12<\/p>\n How to do it: <\/p>\n Stand with a straight back and your feet hip-width apart.Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward or slightly inward.Lift the weights overhead, keeping your back straight.When your arms are fully extended, the weight will put pressure downwards through the arms and into the spine, so pause here briefly.Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.<\/p>\n \u201cBone health isn’t just about the lower body,\u201d says Harris.<\/p>\n \u201cPressing a weight overhead creates what’s known as axial loading, where the weight travels down through the arms and into the spine.<\/p>\n \u201cThis loading encourages the body to maintain upper-body bone density while also improving shoulder strength and core stability.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Pogo hop<\/p>\n Rounds: 3 Time: 20-30sec<\/p>\n How to do it: <\/p>\n Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.Bring your weight onto the balls of your feet and push off the floor into a jump.Do the movement rapidly, as though you are jumping without a rope.<\/p>\n \u201cImpact is another key ingredient for healthy bones, but that doesn’t mean you need to perform high-intensity jumps,\u201d says Harris.<\/p>\n \u201cSimple pogo hops\u2014where you bounce quickly on the balls of your feet\u2014create repeated ground reaction forces through the ankles, legs, hips and spine.\u201d<\/p>\n The trainer says you should keep your movement rhythmic and low to the ground; the goal isn’t to hit maximum height, but rather to create repeated ground reaction forces through the ankles, legs, hips, and spine.<\/p>\n Mark Harris<\/p>\n \nSocial Links Navigation\n<\/p>\n