Body
Which Exercises Build Bone Density? Weights vs. Walking
Resistance training, walking and impact exercise can slow bone loss and modestly build bone density. What works best, plus tips to stay motivated.
September 14, 2024 · 4 min read
Exercise for osteoporosis in Colorado Springs
The right exercise is one of the best things you can do for thinning bones. Progressive strength training gives your bones a reason to stay strong, balance training makes falls less likely, and a few simple changes keep your spine safe, even if you already have osteoporosis.
TogetherWON builds that program for you, in your home in the Colorado Springs area or online, with trainers who specialize in older adults. Exercise works alongside the treatment your doctor recommends, not instead of it.
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Load your bones
Progressive strength training for the hips and spine, where the most serious fractures happen, built up gradually over weeks and months.3,4
Protect your spine
We swap toe touches, crunches and rounded-back lifting for hip hinges and exercises that strengthen your back.8
Avoid the fall
Balance practice in every session, because falls cause most hip fractures. Stronger bones and fewer falls work together.9
Why strong bones and steady balance both matter
Osteoporosis is common and often silent. You can’t feel your bones thinning, so the first sign is often a broken bone.
- of U.S. adults 50 and older had low bone mass in 2017–2018, and nearly 13% had osteoporosis1
- 43%
- women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, by one foundation’s estimate2
- 1 in 2
- of emergency visits and hospital stays for hip fractures are caused by falls9
- 88%
- fewer falls among older adults who exercised, in a review of 108 trials10
- 23%
Walking vs. strength training for your bones
Walking is great for your heart, mood and joints, so keep doing it. Your bones need something more on top of it.
| Walking on its own | Progressive strength training | |
|---|---|---|
| Spine bone density | No meaningful effect in a review of walking programs | Improved by about 3% in 8 months in the LIFTMOR trial |
| Hip bone density | A small benefit | Held steady in LIFTMOR, while a light-exercise group lost about 2% |
| How to do it | Most days, as a foundation for heart and mood | 2–3 days a week, built up gradually with guidance |
How we keep your spine safe
Exercise is recommended with osteoporosis, with a few changes that protect the front of your spinal bones.6,7,8
- Hinge at the hips with a flat back instead of bending forward from the waist
- No sit-ups, crunches or toe touches, which squeeze the front of the spine
- No extreme twisting, especially while holding weight
- Back-strengthening exercises, like rows and back extensions, in every program
- High-impact moves only with your doctor’s OK, and often not at all after an osteoporosis fracture
- Strength and balance training together, as international experts recommend
Bring your latest bone density (DXA) results and any restrictions from your doctor to your first session.
This program is for
- People told they have osteopenia (low bone mass) or osteoporosis
- Anyone who has broken a bone in a minor fall, once their doctor clears them to exercise
- Women past menopause who want to protect their bones
- People who aren’t sure which exercises are safe for their spine
- Anyone taking osteoporosis medication who wants exercise working alongside it
How we train with osteoporosis
Start with your full picture
Your free consultation covers your bone density results, any fractures, your medications and your doctor’s guidance, then checks your strength and balance.
Build load gradually
Bones respond to challenge, so we raise the weight step by step, with a trainer watching your form, never by jumping straight to heavy lifting.
Move the bone-safe way
You learn to hinge from your hips, lift with a flat back and strengthen the muscles that hold you upright, so everyday tasks feel safer too.
Add impact only when cleared
Gentle impact like heel drops comes in only if your doctor says it’s safe for you.
How much does training for osteoporosis cost?
Osteoporosis training uses our in-person plans, from $198 to $720 a month, month to month. Weekly sessions on Consistent ($447 a month) let your trainer guide each step up in weight.
Guided
$198a month
For people who are comfortable exercising independently but want an expert to create their program, oversee their progress and provide accountability.
- Live one-on-one training: 1 in-person session a month
- Personalized Body • Brain • Balance programming
- Personalized activities in the app between sessions
- Trainer oversight and program adjustments
- Trainer messaging between sessions
- Optional extra start-up session in your first month: $90
Most popular
Consistent
$447a month
For people who want regular coaching, progression and accountability.
- Live one-on-one training: 1 in-person session a week
- Personalized Body • Brain • Balance programming
- Personalized activities in the app between sessions
- Trainer oversight and program adjustments
- Trainer messaging between sessions
Intensive
$720a month
For people who want the highest level of live coaching, hands-on guidance and support.
- Live one-on-one training: 2 in-person sessions a week
- Personalized Body • Brain • Balance programming
- Personalized activities in the app between sessions
- Trainer oversight and program adjustments
- Trainer messaging between sessions
For families
Worried about a parent with osteoporosis, especially after a fall or a fracture? You can book the free consultation for them and be there for it, and we’ll build a bone-safe program they can follow at home between visits.
How to help an aging parent start exercisingBook a consultation for a parent
“I feel so fortunate to be given the opportunity to participate in TogetherWON. Having a program designed specifically for my needs with the added bonus of being able to do it at home is wonderful. I was encouraged to have a goal and that has really kept me focused. My last assessment with my trainer showed great improvement in just a few months. I highly recommend this program because I am now able to do some things I thought were part of my past.”
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Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to lift weights with osteoporosis?
For most people, yes, when the weight is built up gradually and the form is right. An international expert panel recommends that people with osteoporosis do strength and balance training, not just walking.
In the LIFTMOR trial, women with low bone mass who did closely supervised heavy strength training improved their spine bone density, with only one minor injury. Check with your doctor first, especially if you’ve had a fracture.
Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Exercise can slow bone loss and modestly increase bone density, but on its own it usually doesn’t reverse osteoporosis. In the LIFTMOR trial, spine bone density improved by about 3% in 8 months.
Exercise also makes you stronger and steadier, which lowers your chance of the fall that causes most fractures.
Should I keep taking my osteoporosis medication if I exercise?
Yes, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Exercise works alongside the treatment your doctor recommends, not instead of it.
Ask your doctor about supplements too. Some, like strontium, can make bone density scans read higher than the true change.
Bone density, supplements and exerciseCan I exercise after a compression fracture?
Usually, once your doctor clears you. You may need to skip high-impact exercise, but strength, balance and back-strengthening exercises are still encouraged.
Many people start with a physical therapist after a fracture and move on to training once they’re cleared.
Personal trainer or physical therapist?Sources
- Sarafrazi N, Wambogo EA, Shepherd JA. Osteoporosis or low bone mass in older adults: United States, 2017–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no. 405. National Center for Health Statistics; 2021. View source
- Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. What women need to know. View source
- Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA, Beck BR. High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2018;33(2):211-220. View source
- Kistler-Fischbacher M, Weeks BK, Beck BR. The effect of exercise intensity on bone in postmenopausal women (part 2): a meta-analysis. Bone. 2021;143:115697. View source
- Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. Meta-analysis of walking for preservation of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Bone. 2008;43(3):521-531. View source
- Giangregorio LM, Papaioannou A, Macintyre NJ, et al. Too Fit To Fracture: exercise recommendations for individuals with osteoporosis or osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Osteoporos Int. 2014;25(3):821-835. View source
- Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. Be Bone Strong: osteoporosis exercise for strong bones. View source
- Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. Protecting your spine. View source
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts about older adult falls. View source
- Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, et al. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1(1):CD012424. View source
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