The #1 Best Strength Training Exercise for Bone Health, According to Personal Trainers for Seniors
As you’ve gotten older, you might have noticed your body creaking more than it used to. The scary truth is that we start to lose bone gradually as early as 30. Often this happens without you even realizing it—until, suddenly, you do. “Osteoporosis [a medical condition where bones become brittle and fragile] is often a ‘silent disease’ because people who develop it may not notice any changes until a bone breaks—usually a bone in the hip, spine or wrist,” Dr. Lauren Gleason, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine in the Section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine,” previously told Parade.
Fitness instructor Meredith Chen, CPT, who regularly leads workouts for seniors on her YouTube channel, explains that bones become more brittle as we lose calcium, other minerals, and overall density over time. “In order to protect our bones from osteoporosis and breaks, we need to prioritize our bone health,” she says. One way to do this is through strength training exercises. “As we do strength training exercises, the muscles and tendons put tension on the bones. This stimulates the bones to create more bone tissue, and results in stronger bones and reduces the risk of fractures,” Chen explains.
Marjorie Jaffe, CPT, a personal trainer who specializes in senior fitness, adds to this, explaining that strength training helps with bone density by building cells, called osteoblasts, and calcium to help increase bone strength. “Muscles make bones move, and when a muscle pulls on a bone to move it, a crystal forms and transforms the mechanical energy from physicality to an electrical energy which stimulates bone-forming cells,” she says.
With this in mind, the personal trainers have two exercises they recommend doing regularly.
The Best Strength Training Exercise for Bone Density
As bone density is lost, it becomes more difficult to stand or sit up straight. This is because bone loss causes the vertebrae to collapse, which can cause someone to hunch over. Jaffe says that one way to counteract this is by strengthening the trapezius muscle, a large, triangular muscle located across the upper back and behind the base of the neck. Below, Jaffe gives the steps to a strength-training move that targets this muscle:
Trapezius strength training exercise move
1. Stand with your legs about three feet apart, with knees and toes turned out to a 45-degree angle. Keep your knees slightly bent. This move can be done with or without weights. Try it first without weights and then, as it gets easier over time, incorporate weights.
2. Keep your arms down in front, with your palms facing your thighs. While keeping your shoulders pulled down, lift and bend your elbows up to shoulder height. Without dropping your elbows, pull them all the way back down.
3. Slowly lower your arms down. Repeat 10 times.
Jaffe recommends doing this strength training move three times a day to make a noticeable difference for your bones. You can work it into your routine by doing it once in the morning, once at lunch, and again in the evening. But there’s one other type of exercise that can also benefit your bones regularly.
One Daily Habit for Better Bone Strength
Chen’s favorite exercise for bone strength is walking—yes, walking! “If able to walk, the simple weight-bearing exercise of walking will help strengthen the bones in the body by the muscles engaging with gravity as the weight,” she says. Walking has many other health benefits too. Scientific studies show that walking regularly can lower the risk of strokes, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. If you want to build one habit into your day that can greatly benefit your health, this is it.
For people who cannot comfortably walk, Chen says moving from sitting to standing is another way to build bone strength. And for those who must stay seated, she says seated marching (moving your arms and legs as if you are marching, but staying seated) and arm curls are great ways to engage muscles and build bone strength. Chen says that these exercises can be done every day if no weights are used. If you are incorporating weights, do them three to five times a week to give your muscles a chance to recover.
As you can see, bone-building strength training exercises don’t have to be fancy or time-consuming. In fact, the more simple you keep it, the more likely you are to turn them into a habit. When done regularly, you’ll start to notice yourself standing taller and moving about with more ease, no bones about it!
Next up, check out these three delicious snacks that support bone health.
Sources
Meredith Chen, CPT, personal trainer who specializes in senior fitness
Marjorie Jaffe, CPT, personal trainer who specializes in senior fitness