Weight-Bearing Exercises: 5 Workouts to Improve Bone Health

There're several weight-bearing exercises that can help enhance bone health. Even if you're suffering from osteoporosis, these exercises can help in better management of bone health symptoms.

These weight-bearing exercises force the body to work against gravity. They're highly effective in increasing strength in the bones, improve balance and flexibility, and enhance coordination.

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Best Weight-Bearing Exercises for Improved Bone Health

Dancing for better bone health (Image via Pexels/Marko Zirdum)

We have created a list of the five best and most effective weight-bearing exercises that can be incorporated into your workout routine to enhance your health:

1) Hiking

It's among the best weight-bearing exercises for better bone density, especially in the hips.

Besides the benefits of hiking, it can also help you avoid the monotony of the same workout routine as you get on this adventure with friends while escaping to nature. This weight-bearing exercise can help in boosting strength along with muscular endurance.

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2) Dancing

There are different forms of dancing that can help in enhancing bone health while making your workout more fun.

These include tango, rhumba, salsa, foxtrot, and samba. They boost heart health along with strengthening the bones and burning a decent amount of calories.

One of the main benefits of dancing is that it helps increase flexibility and boosts coordination in the limbs. This weight-bearing workout for osteoporosis can also perk up body balance.

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3) Brisk Walking

It's one of the most efficient and popular weight-bearing exercises because of its multiple benefits.

Regular brisk walking can help reduce probability of hip fractures along with enhancing fitness. You can also easily modify this workout according to your fitness. It's among the versatile weight-bearing exercises for osteoporosis and does not require any equipment.

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4) Yoga

Yoga for osteoporosis (Image via Pexels/Valeria Ushakova)

Yoga is another ffective weight-bearing exercise to improve bone mineral density. There are different forms of yoga such as Ashtanga and Hatha, which can provide extensive health benefits.

Regular yoga can help enhance the bone health of those who're prone to fractures. For instance, a downward yoga pose can help in boosting strength in the shoulders, wrists, and arms.

Everyday yoga poses also provide other benefits, such as increased body awareness, greater concentration, better mental focus, and increased balance.

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5) Racquet Sports

Racquet sports (Image via Pexels/Cottonbro Studio)

There are various racquet sports you can try for better bone health. These include paddle tennis, squash, lawn tennis.

You use the upper body to hit the ball while you make use of the lower body by running around. Racquet sports provide a multitude of other benefits, such as enhancing athletic performance, burning calories, and increasing strength.

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Takeaway

The aforementioned weight-bearing exercises force the body to work against gravity and provide extensive health benefits. These include increasing strength in the muscles, building balance, boosting flexibility, enhancing coordination, and improving bone strength.

You can also pair these exercises along with better nutrition plans, including avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, incorporating vitamin D and calcium in your diet. Consult with your doctor for medication in extreme cases to maintain and build bone density.

However, there's no single workout plan that works best for everyone with weak bone density and osteoporosis. The benefits vary depending on factors like fitness, range of motion, fracture risk, muscle strength, gait, and physical activity level.