Two million: The number of adults who break a bone each year due to osteoporosis, according to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and makes them more bound to break, which comes with a host of complications, including disability. What comes before it is osteopenia, which is a reduced bone density that makes you more vulnerable to osteoporosis.
Aging is a risk factor for more fragile bones. After age 50, bone loss begins to speed up. Although both men and women can develop osteoporosis, it’s far more common in women, as the decline in estrogen speeds up bone loss. Over age 65, more than one out of four women have osteoporosis.
As for strategies that strengthen your skeleton, your lifestyle habits can make a big difference. The National Institute on Aging advises avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as well as increasing the intake of bone-preserving foods, like low-fat dairy, leafy veggies, and fortified foods that offer good sources of calcium and vitamin D.
And you know what else they recommend? Staying active with weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing exercise is especially good for your skeleton because the impact puts stress on your bones, stimulating cells to rebuild, fortify, and strengthen, all of which help prevent fractures. What’s more, strengthening muscles, tendons, and ligaments helps improve stabilization, helping to prevent problematic falls.
Resistance exercise is one of the best bone-strengthening workouts you can do at any age. The goal, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to perform two days of full-body — legs, arms, back, core — muscle-strengthening workouts per week. Keep reading to learn about all the perks of resistance training for stronger bones.
RELATED: 7 Fitness Tips to Maintain Strength & Support Longevity
The Top Reasons Why You Should Incorporate Resistance Training For Bone Health
#1 You Can Reduce Your Risk Of Osteoporosis
Even though your odds of developing osteoporosis increases with age, that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. In fact, you can keep your skeleton strong well into your golden years. A systematic review of 59 studies on adults 65 or older found that doing at least an hour of physical activity two to three times per week for seven months or longer was associated with stronger bones, particularly in the lumbar (lower) spine. Doing multiple different types of exercise — particularly resistance exercise — was key for the skeleton-preserving benefits.
In addition, resistance training also improved bone mineral density in the spine and femur of those with osteoporosis and osteopenia, concluded another meta-analysis. Bottom line: No matter the status of your bones today — whether you have osteopenia or osteoporosis or not — lifting weights or performing bodyweight exercise — is a bonafide bone builder.
RELATED: The Benefits of Exercise For Improved Quality of Life
#2 It Can Help Reduce Day-To-Day Pain
Want to feel better? People who had low bone mineral density or a history of a fracture who followed a progressive resistance training program (where you gradually increase the amount of weight that you lift as your muscles get stronger) experienced some pretty good benefits: They improved their physical performance, had a higher health-related quality of life and experienced less pain compared to control groups, according to a 2021 study. In terms of physical performance, they improved their ability to do the “get up and go” test, which measures how quickly you can move from sit to stand. The ability to feel stronger and more vibrant every day? We’ll take it.
#3 Even If You Have Osteoporosis, Resistance Training Boosts Your Health
Just because you already have osteoporosis — or have broken a bone — doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about it. In fact, in a randomized controlled trial on nearly 150 women who were older than age 65 and had osteoporosis and a fracture, those who followed a 3-month exercise program improved their muscle strength, balance, and fear of falling compared to a control group. And with less of a fear of falling, you may be more willing to do activities that bring you joy — go on walks with your friends, play with your grandkids — all of which can make a real difference in your life.
RELATED: The Anti-Aging Benefits of Exercise, According to Research
How to Start Resistance Training
It can be difficult to know where to begin if strength training isn’t in your weekly routine yet. You can strengthen your muscles and put a healthy load on your bones in a bunch of different ways — so pick the one that appeals to you the most and you find the most enjoyable. That can be lifting weights, doing body weight exercises, using resistance bands, gardening, and even certain types of yoga, says the CDC. For more ideas, including exactly what exercises to do, check out the FitOn app.
The Takeaway
Resistance training is a must for anyone over 65. Not only does it strengthen muscles and maintain your muscle mass, but it also keeps your bones strong as you age, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Best of all, you’ll feel good, and you can use it to gain confidence to do the things you love in life.
