Julia Thompson Recommends 10 At-Home Exercises to Strengthen Bones as 1 in 3 Women Face Fractures
Updated
Updated · Fit and Well · Jul 8
Julia Thompson Recommends 10 At-Home Exercises to Strengthen Bones as 1 in 3 Women Face Fractures
2 articles · Updated · Fit and Well · Jul 8
Summary
10 simple weight-bearing moves—from marching on the spot and heel drops to mini hops, jogging and dancing—can help strengthen bones at home without a gym, osteoporosis specialist Julia Thompson said.
Bodyweight exercise stimulates bone remodelling, she said, prompting osteoblasts to build denser bone tissue as people spend more time on their feet working against gravity.
Supportive options such as step-ups, stair climbs, sit-to-stands and single-leg stands can be adapted to ability level, with Thompson urging people to start gradually and use chairs, walls or rails if needed.
Exercise is very unlikely to cause a broken bone, Thompson said, even for people diagnosed with osteoporosis or with risk factors, as regular movement is strongly encouraged.
The advice comes as osteoporosis drives fractures in a third of women and 20% of men over 50 globally, according to the Osteoporosis Foundation.