TRUE or FALSE? Walking will improve bone density

Contributed by Bethany Reynolds
Health & Fitness Professional

True- But we could build it faster if we hop, skip, or lift weights.

Like muscles, bones shrink without stimulation. So standing instead of sitting can be your first step. Astronauts can lose 1 to 2 percent of their bone mass every month they spend in zero gravity. Sedentary elderly people could lose about that much in a year. We all need strong bones no matter what age we are. Luckily, weight-bearing activity can help slow bone loss.  If your bones are healthy, we can add in jumps, skips, or hops.  Not ready to start at that higher level of work? No worries, any activity that puts pressure on your skeleton will help. So we can start with standing, marching, walking, and keep progressing. 

Along with walking adding in resistance exercise should help. By lifting weights we can improve overall bone health. By increasing the magnitude of the effort, we put more strain on the muscles and bones. This works for us by increasing the strength of the bones and muscles. Another option to try is weight-bearing movements that involve balance. For example, you could try doing some upper body exercises like bicep curls or triceps kickbacks while stabilizing yourself on one leg. If you are interested in increasing your own bone density we can help. Let’s get started today so you are stronger tomorrow.