You’re committed to your health. You exercise regularly and do everything you can to keep your body strong, especially your bones. But what if I told you that some of the exercises you believe are helping your bones might actually be doing very little—or could even be counterproductive?
My goal is to empower you with the right information so you can understand that osteoporosis is often preventable and even reversible. Today, we’re diving into a critical topic: exercise. I see many people diligently performing workouts they think are great for their bones, but the science doesn’t always back them up. We’re going to count down the top 10 exercises for bone health that I see people doing that are simply not effective for building bone. I’m not talking about obvious things; I’m talking about common, popular exercises that many of you are doing right now. The last three on this list are guaranteed to surprise you. (Based on the insights of Dr. Doug Lucas)
Key Takeaways
- Not all exercise is created equal for building bone. The key ingredients are resistance, gravity, and impact.
- Low-impact or non-impact activities like swimming and cycling, while great for cardio, remove the necessary stresses needed to stimulate bone growth.
- Even “good” exercises can be detrimental if done to an extreme, such as long-distance running, which can lead to bone loss.
- Flexibility and balance-focused workouts like yoga and Pilates are excellent for fall prevention and mobility but do not provide enough resistance or impact to increase bone density.
- The most effective approach for bone health is a combination of high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) and impact training, performed safely and progressively.
1. Long-Distance Running
Many people think, “Running creates impact, so it must be good for my bones.” Unfortunately, according to the research, this isn’t necessarily true, especially when it comes to long distances. Think of it this way: if you were to design a car to go very long distances, you would make it as light as possible. You’d use less frame material and reduce everything to its minimum to improve efficiency. Your body is an amazing adapter. If you teach it that its primary stress is running for miles and miles, it will adapt to become more efficient at that task. It will strip away non-essential weight, which includes not only fat but also muscle and bone mass. The light, repetitive impact from jogging isn’t enough to trigger the kind of bone-building response you need. Furthermore, long-distance running can create fueling issues (it’s hard to eat enough to compensate), can be inflammatory, and can even disrupt hormonal cycles in women, which has a direct negative effect on bone health.
2. Swimming
This one might not be a huge surprise, but it’s important to understand why it’s on the list. To build bone, you need three key stimuli: resistance, gravity, and impact. When you get in a pool, you effectively remove two of them. The water’s buoyancy negates gravity and eliminates impact. While you are using your muscles against the water’s resistance, and it’s a fantastic cardiovascular workout that’s easy on the joints, it will not build bone. The problem arises when swimming is your primary or only form of exercise, leaving no time or energy for the activities that do strengthen your skeleton.
3. Cycling
Much like swimming, cycling is another popular exercise that falls short in the bone-building department. Whether you’re on a road bike or a stationary bike, you have eliminated the crucial element of impact. While gravity is still in play, the lack of impact is a significant drawback. In fact, studies on professional cyclists show a strong association with osteoporosis. This is likely due to a combination of factors: the non-impact nature of their sport, the tendency to be extremely lean, and potential fueling issues. An additional concern with cycling, particularly road and mountain biking, is the high potential for catastrophic injury from a fall or a collision, which is a serious risk for anyone, but especially for someone with compromised bone density.
4. Rebounders (Mini Trampolines)
I get this question all the time: “Is bouncing on my rebounder good for my bones?” The answer is yes and no. Rebounding is actually quite good for improving balance and proprioception, which can help with fall prevention—a definite positive for those with osteoporosis. However, it will not help you build bone. Remember our key ingredients? The soft surface of the rebounder is designed to absorb and slow down your landing. This cushiony effect reduces the force of impact so much that it’s insufficient to signal your bones to grow stronger. It’s a different mechanism entirely from a whole-body vibration plate, which generates much faster and more direct vertical forces.
5. Yoga
Every time I mention yoga, someone brings up Dr. Fishman’s study on yoga for bone density. I’ve read it, and while it’s a published study, it has significant potential for bias, was not well-controlled for other activities the participants were doing, and has never been replicated by another research group. Let me be clear: I love yoga. It is a fantastic practice for improving flexibility, enhancing balance, preventing falls, and serving as a form of moving meditation. But it does not build bone. It provides some resistance through bodyweight holds, but it’s not enough, and it provides zero impact. You can absolutely build bone and also do yoga, but you cannot rely on yoga alone to reverse bone loss.
6. Pilates
Often grouped with yoga, Pilates is a very different discipline. I’m a fan of Pilates, especially reformer-style workouts, as it’s excellent for building core strength and working muscles under constant tension. However, just like yoga, it’s not a bone-builder. It has no impact component, and while it can feel intense, the level of resistance is not high enough to trigger a significant increase in bone density. To date, I have never seen a study demonstrating that Pilates can reverse osteoporosis.
7. Walking
Walking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, longevity, brain, and joints. I am a huge fan of walking and encourage everyone to do it. But we must be clear about what it can and cannot do. The term “weight-bearing exercise” is often used to promote walking for bone health, but this is misleading. While you are technically bearing your own weight, the impact of a simple walking stride is far too low to stimulate new bone growth. It’s a foundational activity for a healthy life, but if you have osteoporosis, you need to do more than just walk to build bone.
8, 9, & 10. The “LiftMore” Exercises (Without Supervision)
The last three on my list will be the most controversial: the barbell back squat, the barbell deadlift, and the barbell overhead press. These are the three core exercises from the groundbreaking LiftMore trial by Dr. Belinda Beck in Australia. This study proved that high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) could be done safely and effectively to build bone in individuals with osteoporosis. So why are they on a “worst” list?
Because of the impact the study had on the general public. The problem is not the exercises themselves—they are phenomenal for loading the spine and hips. The problem is that people with no prior lifting experience hear about this study and think they need to go to the gym and start teaching themselves how to do a heavy barbell back squat or deadlift. This is a recipe for disaster. These are complex, technical lifts that carry a high risk of injury if performed incorrectly. Even Dr. Beck recognized this, which is why she created a licensing program to train physical therapists to teach these movements properly.
Furthermore, people mistakenly believe they must do these three specific exercises. The real takeaway from the LiftMore trial is the principle: you need high-intensity resistance combined with impact. The barbell lifts were simply the tools they used in the study. There are hundreds of other exercises that can achieve the same goal in a way that might be safer and more appropriate for your individual body and experience level. You can progressively overload your muscles and bones without ever touching a barbell. The goal is to get strong and avoid injury, not to become a powerlifter (unless you want to, with proper coaching!).
Conclusion
In reviewing this list, the goal is not to tell you to stop cycling, swimming, or doing yoga. Many of these activities are wonderful for your cardiovascular health, mental clarity, and quality of life. The point is to help you understand that if your goal is to build bone, these exercises are not the tools for the job. You cannot rely on them alone.
Building bone requires a specific recipe. You need two main things: resistance training, preferably at a high intensity, and some form of significant impact. You must do these things progressively, always challenging your body to do a little more over time, and you must do them without getting injured. Injury is the enemy of progress. Focus on the big picture, work with a professional if you can, and don’t fall for the idea that there’s one single magic exercise. Stay strong, and let’s continue to age with strength and grace.
Source: Dr. Doug Lucas