{"id":592080,"date":"2026-04-18T16:50:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T16:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/592080\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T16:50:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T16:50:19","slug":"how-long-does-it-take-to-increase-bone-density","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/592080\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does It Take to Increase Bone Density?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated5 min read<\/p>\n

You might think of osteoporosis<\/a> and low bone density<\/a> as things only women of a certain age need to worry about, but the truth is that bone health<\/a> is really best thought of as a long game. Just like a Roth IRA or retirement account, the more you invest now, the better prepared you\u2019ll be later when you need it most.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you see so many women prioritizing their bone health lately; because increasing it has benefits that last you well into your 80s and beyond. But just how long does it take to increase bone density? Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Donald Chuang<\/a>, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Englewood Orthopedic Associates. Natasha Desai<\/a>, MD, is a clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

What It Takes to Increase Bone Density<\/p>\n

First some bad news: \u201cYou reach your maximum bone density before your 30th birthday, and it begins to decrease every year when we reach the age of 40,\u201d says Donald Chuang<\/a>, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Englewood Orthopedic Associates. So for anyone who\u2019s reached either of those milestone birthdays, the name of the game has already pivoted from trying to increase bone density to preserving what you\u2019ve already got\u2014which is still extremely worthwhile.<\/p>\n

The good news is that there is a lot you can do to slow down bone density loss. And, if you happen to be under 30, those preservative habits are the very same things that can increase your bones\u2019 strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never too late to start making these changes,\u201d says Natasha Desai<\/a>, MD, a clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. \u201cBuilding healthy habits is only ever going to help. That said, everything compounds on what you’ve done before.\u201d So the earlier you can start, the better. Here\u2019s what to start with.<\/p>\n

Strength Training<\/p>\n

Both Dr. Chuang and Dr. Desai stress the importance of resistance exercises<\/a> like lifting weights and plyometrics for increasing or maintaining bone density.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrength training<\/a> is one of the huge ones we\u2019re really pushing,\u201d says Dr. Desai. As for why, a quick anatomy lesson: when you\u2019re doing load-bearing exercise, you\u2019re putting pressure through your bones, which stimulates osteoblasts (the cells responsible for bone development) to do their job and build more bone tissue. So, if you\u2019re strength training<\/a>\u2014with heavy weights in particular\u2014not only are you strengthening your muscles, you\u2019re also challenging your bones, which learn to adapt to the stress. Bones, like diamonds, are made under pressure.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s the number one way to get there, building bone density isn\u2019t just about lifting weights. Beyond strength training, Dr. Desai also recommends walking<\/a>, running<\/a>, plyometrics<\/a>, or even vibration plates<\/a> to give your bones a boost. Overall, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and two days of strength training per week to maintain healthy bones, according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Try the exercises<\/a> that Women\u2019s Health recommends for building bone density.<\/p>\n

Eating These Key Nutrients <\/p>\n

When it comes to eating for better bone health, you\u2019re going to want to focus on two key nutrients: calcium<\/a> and vitamin D<\/a>. Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are going to give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to calcium, but they\u2019re not the only foods packed with bone-healthy nutrients<\/a>. For the lactose intolerant among us, there are plenty of calcium-rich foods that don\u2019t contain lactose, plus a wide range of calcium-fortified foods that are just as good for your bone health as milk. Beyond many kinds of seafood, you can turn to nuts or fortified orange juice for some calcium. \u201cThere are so many options now\u2014all these vegan foods that are fortified,\u201d Dr. Desai says. \u201cYou just have to pay attention and read the labels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, eggs, fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), and leafy greens (kale, broccoli) can help ensure you\u2019re getting enough calcium and vitamin D while remaining lactose-free, Dr. Chuang adds.<\/p>\n

Of course, you can also take calcium or vitamin D supplements, though both doctors warn they\u2019re not a solution to an otherwise unhealthy diet. \u201cCalcium throughout the day is better than just one big bolus of calcium,\u201d Dr. Desai says. Rather than thinking of hitting your daily dose of calcium or vitamin D as something you can knock out first thing in the morning with a pill or large serving of yogurt, it\u2019s much easier for your body to actually absorb those healthy vitamins and minerals if they\u2019re spread out across multiple meals. And, while it\u2019s extremely difficult to overdose on either nutrient through diet alone, it is possible if you\u2019re relying solely on supplements.<\/p>\n

How Long It Takes to Increase Bone Density<\/p>\n

As mentioned before, increasing bone density is most important for those in their teens and 20s, but whether you\u2019re focused on bone growth or maintenance, it\u2019s important to note that changes to your bones happen very slowly. Making changes to your diet or exercise routine will take anywhere from one to three years to really show up on a DEXA scan (a specialized X-ray that measures bone density). Bone health is a long-term project, so there are no quick fixes, unfortunately.<\/p>\n

For women specifically, \u201cas long as you’re menstruating and have good normal estrogen levels, you’re not really losing much bone,\u201d Dr. Desai says. \u201cMaybe less than one percent a year until you reach menopause.\u201d At that point, the rapid changes in estrogen levels coupled with natural bone density loss through aging accelerates things up to about three percent loss per year. Then, once you\u2019re post-menopause, it slows back down again to roughly one percent.<\/p>\n

Those numbers are also assuming that you do not have other high-risk factors that may speed up bone loss. Heavy drinking and smoking, prolonged steroid use (like for asthma or autoimmune conditions), and repetitive stress fractures can all quicken bone density loss or prevent you from increasing your bone density in your 20s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first step to improve bone health is a healthy balanced diet with regular weight bearing or resistance exercise in your life,\u201d Dr. Chuang says. \u201cStarting early and remaining consistent with diet and exercises remains a pillar to not just healthy bone density, but a healthy body as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lettermark\"<\/p>\n

Abby Hepworth is a freelancer writer who covers all things running, wellness, and fashion. Her work has appeared on\u00a0Runner’s World,\u00a0PureWow, and\u00a0Coveteur. She is an RRCA-certified run coach and is currently working toward USATF certification as well. If she’s not out for a run in Central Park, you can likely find her hiking and backpacking along the Sierra Nevada range out west.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 min read You might think of osteoporosis and low bone density as things only women of a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":592081,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[258426,979,258425,874,97,873,221158,258424],"class_list":{"0":"post-592080","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-collection-bone-health","9":"tag-content-type-how-to-service","10":"tag-contentid-0e4e6e17-e2e2-48f7-a678-41b5d15b7b52","11":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-locale-us","14":"tag-read_time-5","15":"tag-shorttitle-how-long-does-it-take-to-increase-bone-density"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592080","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=592080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}