Strengthen your bones the natural way | Dr. Hansaji Yogendra

People who strength train enjoy stronger bones – no matter their age, according to one Aging Clinical and Experimental Research review. And in a 2016 BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders study of 150 women with osteoporosis or osteopenia, those who performed regular resistance training increased their serum concentrations of CTX, a marker of bone resorption and formation.

Interestingly, those who walked didn’t enjoy the same boost in bone health. That’s because, while any activity is going to be good for your bones, the best exercises load your bones with forces greater than those that you probably encounter in daily life. Termed “minimal essential strain,” the threshold for stimulating new bone formation is generally believed to be about one-tenth of the force required to fracture the bone. “The bone responds to that stress by becoming thicker and stronger,” Gazzaniga says. That’s not a license to try to test out your bone strength, but you get the idea. Turn to full-body weight-bearing exercises that load your spine and hips, such as squats, lunges, deadlifts and shoulder presses, for the greatest benefit.

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-09-09/6-ways-to-strengthen-your-bones-no-matter-your-age