{"id":467948,"date":"2026-02-14T09:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T09:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/467948\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T09:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T09:11:12","slug":"the-best-exercises-for-bone-health-over-50-per-trainers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/467948\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Exercises for Bone Health Over 50, Per Trainers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making decisions that help your bones grow big and strong is often a priority when you\u2019re a kid. But as you get older\u2014and especially after menopause<\/a>\u2014maintaining them brings on renewed importance. While eating foods for strong bones<\/a> is a great start, adding exercises for bone health to your routine helps set you (and your body) up for success.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrong bones aren\u2019t just about preventing fractures\u2014they\u2019re essential for staying mobile, independent, and confident in daily life,\u201d says Tina Tang, C.P.T.<\/a>, a personal trainer in Jersey City, NJ. Exercise is one of the best ways to boost, which is why we asked trainers to share the best exercises for bone health.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Tina Tang, C.P.T.<\/a>, a personal trainer in Jersey City, NJ; Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle Fitness LaGree<\/a> in Providence, RI. <\/p>\n

Why is exercising for bone health so important in your 50s and beyond? \u201cAs you get older, your body breaks down bone faster than it builds new bone. This may cause bones to slowly lose density and become weaker over time. Weaker bones are more likely to fracture,\u201d explains Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle Fitness LaGree<\/a> in Providence, RI. \u201cAfter menopause, bone loss speeds up because estrogen levels drop. Estrogen helps protect bones, so lower levels make bones thin more quickly.\u201d The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center<\/a> says that over half of women over 50 have either osteopenia (low bone density) or osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones that increase their risk of fractures). <\/p>\n

The good news: According to a 2025 review in Scientific Reports<\/a>, exercise is an effective strategy for combating bone loss over 50\u2014but the type of exercise you choose does matter. <\/p>\n

When it comes to the types of exercise that are best for your bones, the experts we spoke to highlighted three key formats.<\/p>\n

Strength-training exercises<\/p>\n

\u201cStrength-training is the foundation for maintaining bone density,\u201d says Tang. \u201cWhen you lift weights, your muscles pull on your bones. That mechanical stress sends signals to bone-building cells (called osteoblasts) to strengthen the bone. The body adapts to what it\u2019s asked to do\u2014when muscles get stronger, bones are prompted to follow.\u201d If you\u2019re strength-training the right way, Chakoian says that you can maintain or even increase your bone density. \u201cIt also supports muscle strength, which helps protect bones and reduce injury risk,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n

A 2025 review in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research<\/a> found that strength (or resistance) training three times per week significantly improved bone density. Another study in the journal Bone<\/a> found additional bone health benefits from high velocity resistance training, which involves a quick contraction and a slow release\u2014so for a squat, that would mean dropping down quickly and then returning to standing much slower.<\/p>\n

Strength-training exercises for strong bones<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s most effective to focus on foundational movement patterns that load the skeleton well,\u201d says Tang. \u201cThese movements apply force through the hips, spine, and upper body\u2014areas most relevant to bone health and fracture prevention.\u201d She recommends the following exercises:<\/p>\n

Squats<\/a> Lunges Deadlifts Chest presses Overhead presses Push-ups<\/a> Bent-over rows Lat pulldowns PlanksWeight-bearing exercises<\/p>\n

\u201cWeight-bearing cardio is great for bone health,\u201d says Chakoian. Per the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, weight-bearing is just the technical term for exercise that\u2019s done standing, with gravity forcing your bones<\/a> to support your weight. Weight-bearing exercise may help slow bone loss<\/a> and perhaps even build bone. Like strength-training, research finds that weight-bearing cardio puts good stress on the bones, prompting extra deposits of calcium and increasing the action of osteoblasts. <\/p>\n

The best weight-bearing exercises for strong bones<\/p>\n

\u201cAs with strength training, progression matters more than intensity,\u201d Tang says. \u201cBones respond best to consistent, gradually increasing challenge, not occasional all-out effort.\u201d Experts recommend these forms of weight-bearing cardio:<\/p>\n

Walking<\/a> Running Hiking Stair-climbing DancingHigh-impact exercises<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re physically ready and able to kick your strength-training or weight-bearing cardio up a notch, impact-based movement is an excellent modality to incorporate for strengthening bones. \u201cActivities that involve landing and pushing off the ground\u2014working against gravity\u2014stimulate bone adaptation, particularly in the hips and legs, which are common fracture sites as we age,\u201d explains Tang. \u201cThe goal isn\u2019t extreme impact, but appropriate, progressive loading that the body can safely adapt to.\u201d Impact exercises comprise any movement where both feet leave the ground. They also include plyometrics<\/a>, a high-intensity form of strength-training that focuses on explosive power.<\/p>\n

These types of exercises increase the weight and good stress<\/a> on the bones to help strengthen them faster. Plus, they add that as few as 20 jumps per day can have a positive effect on bone density.<\/p>\n

The best high-impact-based movements for strong bones<\/p>\n

If you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, severe knee pain, arthritis<\/a>, or pelvic floor prolapse, it\u2019s best to check with your doctor before incorporating impact exercises into your workout, as the AAOS notes that they may not be advised or could be painful. But if you can give them a try, start with one of these:<\/p>\n

Pogo jumps: \u201cThese small, quick, jumps with both feet are a common beginner option,\u201d says Tang. \u201cThey focus on controlled takeoffs and landings and can help introduce impact safely.\u201d Jump rope: Once you have your pogo jumps down, try adding a rope. Side-to-side jumps: Leap off your left foot as far as you can to the right, then switch feet and jump back. Squat jumps: Do a regular squat, then add a jump at the top. Lateral hops: Jump side to side over an imaginary line, keeping your feet together. Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Making decisions that help your bones grow big and strong is often a priority when you\u2019re a kid.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467949,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[217560,217561,979,217559,874,337,982,97,873,217558,208724],"class_list":{"0":"post-467948","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-collection-healthy-aging","9":"tag-collection-workouts","10":"tag-content-type-how-to-service","11":"tag-contentid-2e1cbc97-6c33-4978-93b9-2c3c148989f0","12":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-hasproduct-true","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-locale-us","17":"tag-shorttitle-trainers-share-exercises-for-bone-health-over-50","18":"tag-subsection-workouts"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/467949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}