Practical Osteoporosis Prevention
If you’ve been told to “jump for your bones” but your knees scream at the thought, you’re not alone. Many women in midlife have osteoarthritis or other knee issues, and skipping impact all together can feel like giving up on your bone health.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to jump to build strong bones. The key is giving your skeleton a reason to stay dense by challenging it with weight-bearing and resistance exercises.
Here’s what works even if you can’t jump:
- Weighted strength training: Squats, deadlifts, step-ups, overhead presses – use dumbbells and progressively go heavier over time.
- Weighted carries & loaded walks: Farmer’s carries (holding heavy weights while walking) or rucking (a weighted backpack).
- Low-impact bone loading: Step-ups, heel drops from a step, or gentle trampoline bounces if tolerable.
- Dynamic activities: Dancing, hiking, pickleball – all provide natural impact and directional change for bone stimulation.
- Power moves without impact: Medicine ball throws, sit-to-stands with speed, resistance band snaps.
- Posture & balance: Tai Chi, yoga, and single-leg balance work to reduce fall risk.
Bottom line: bones love load, novelty, and consistency. Choose exercises that challenge you but don’t aggravate pain – then stick with them and progress gradually
Sample Weekly Plans for Bone Health
Plan 1: No-Jump, Knee-Friendly (3x/week strength, daily movement)
- Strength Days:
- Squats to chair or box (weighted if pain-free) – 3×10
- Deadlifts (dumbbells or barbell) – 3×10
- Overhead Press – 3×8
- Farmer’s Carries – 4×30 seconds
- Glute Bridges – 3×12
- Cardio & Load:
- 30–45 min brisk walk or ruck (weighted backpack 10–20 lbs) most days
- Bonus:
- Heel drops off step – 3×15 daily
- Balance work (single-leg stands, 30 sec per side) daily
Plan 2: High-Impact (For Healthy Knees & Joints)
- Strength Days:
- Weighted Squats – 4×8
- Deadlifts – 4×8
- Bench Press – 4×8
- Pull-Ups or Rows – 4×8
- Impact Work:
- Jump Rope – 5×30 sec
- Box Jumps or Broad Jumps – 4×6
- Jump Squats or Skater Hops – 3×10
- Cardio:
- 30 min jog, pickleball, or tennis 2–3x/week
Both plans will stimulate your bones, strengthen your muscles, and protect you from future fractures – without putting you in pain.
As always, we do recommend you speak to your own doctor or physiotherapist before you implement any new exercise regime, especially if you have any diagnosed medical conditions. We want you to be safe and supported, always.
Cozy Treats!
Fall demands delicious baked treats – it’s all part of the season, right?! As always, we want to put a healthy spin on it, so why not bake Tracy’s new date, banana, carrot and walnut bread. It’s absolutely scrumptious and packed with extra fiber too.
Join Tracy and Guests on Move Daily Talks
Every Saturday Tracy is joined by a special guest on her hugely successful, and informative podcast, Move Daily Talks. Here is the latest release for you to listen to, learn from and enjoy. Or watch it on YouTube.
This Weeks Workouts!
Here is your handy reminder of the current week’s workouts. All of the workouts are available either free via the YouTube channel, or are the Members Exclusive workouts, which you can access if you sign up to our Membership. Don’t forget that the workouts are released across the week and so make sure you are signed up for YouTube notifications by subscribing to the channel!
