The Best Exercise Type and Frequency for Bone Density

When it comes to bone health, it’s use it or lose it. Weight-bearing exercise, sufficient intensity and frequency are critical.
When it comes to fractures, one thing stands out: Fall Prevention Is the Most Important Thing for Preventing Osteoporosis Bone Fractures (nutritionfacts.org/video/fall....
Can diet improve bone health? See Three Reasons Fruits and Vegetables May Reduce Osteoporosis Risk (nutritionfacts.org/video/thre...) and Onions and Tomatoes Put to the Test for Osteoporosis (nutritionfacts.org/video/onio....
What about medications that treat osteoporosis? See How Well Do Medicines Like Fosamax Work to Treat Osteoporosis? and Side Effects of Osteoporosis Medications Like Fosamax, Boniva, and Reclast (nutritionfacts.org/video/side....
Should we be concerned about a common class of medications causing osteoporosis? Check out Acid Reflux Medicine May Cause Osteoporosis (nutritionfacts.org/video/acid...) for more.
This video was originally part of my webinar all about osteoporosis. You can watch that full recording (nutritionfacts.org/video/prev..., including a great Q&A.
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Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at nutritionfacts.org/video/the-b... and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at nutritionfacts.org/video/the-.... You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources: nutritionfacts.org/translatio...
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[@lint8391]

Dr Greger says jump, I say how high? 🙃

[@mayapapaya89]

my life!

[@LAKSHMIANGELES]

DOESN'T MATTER HOW HIGH AS LONG AS YOU FEEL THE EFFORT JUMPING AS HIGH AS YOU CAN😉😊🌺✌🏽☮️🌺

[@selma5885]

study in premenopausal women. We need studies in post menopause. To my knowledge only the liftmor australia study-lifting progressive HEAVY weights was shown to build bone in post menopause when most of us are diagnosed since Dexa's are not done early enough!

[@ashy969]

Jumping 50 times daily... So... Everybody should Irish dance? 😂

[@susanlaane9320]

Hopping in my kitchen- wow 50 times per leg is a good workout!👍😀

[@deecapps6637]

There's a physical therapist ( her channel is Bone Smart pilates) that incorprates stomping into her routines. I have degenerative disc disease and was advised by physical therapy to not run, jump or use a rebounder so I do some stomping every week. I hope that's enough!

[@LAKSHMIANGELES]

JUST LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AS TO HOW IT'S REACTING.🌺☮️💟🌺

[@user-xv4kw5mb7e]

can you post your resalts in half a year or so?

[@adamd9418]

He makes a great point about walking not being enough and that greater resistance (intensity) is needed.

[@mkmstillstackin]

Thanks for this re-assuring information Dr. Greger. I find that jumping lunges, calf raises on stairs, and goblet squats holding a 20lb. dumbbell, while standing on a reverse slant board, all work well for me to supplement my running, which is 4-5 days a week. I'm in my early-mid 50's and have been consistently running for 12 yrs. I also do push-ups and pull-ups everyday to maintain upper body strength.

[@shaneashby5890]

Osteoporosis is not a mineral deficiency; it’s a lack of putting stress, pressure, and forces through your bones that you can only get through exercise.

[@genehendrix1847]

You don´t need a weight vest though if you are overweight..

[@dianeladico1769]

I wondered about that. My thinking is if you were going to improve bone density over and above what you have now then a weighted vest may help. True, a heavier person will have greater bone density than a thin person, all other things being equal, but to increase what you already have you'd have to increase the right kind of exercise and adding weight would get you there faster.

[@jonnyoneplate]

Look fatty, you can make excuses or you can put in the work and get the result you want. You can lie the weight away

[@JustOneAsbesto]

@@dianeladico1769 I get your point, but for a really out-of-shape or overweight person, adding extra weight for exercise could be quite risky. It's going to vary a lot from person to person, I bet.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@JustOneAsbesto Absolutely. That probably why every exercise recommendation comes with a 'ask your health provider' warning.

[@JustOneAsbesto]

@@dianeladico1769 I have literally never seen such a warning, unless I'm the person making it. And I warn people about it because I have had serious issues pushing myself too hard when I'm not fit enough, and very negative outcomes that set me back even further.

[@kristinj7173]

It is a combo of 1) strength (resistance) training for the muscle pull on the bone…combined with 2) weight-bearing exercise (loading, i. e. Wolff’s law) that makes the most difference in maintaining or improving bone density.

[@notthere83]

But it says that resistance training is low impact? 0:39

[@user-yj5xo9yi5z]

Don’t be bald

[@Mylinfidele]

For people with degenerative disc disease in the lumbar area, a weighted belt is more advisable than a weighted vest, so the load in on the pelvis and thigh bones, not so much the spine. When wearing a weighted vest, wether one has degenerative disc disease or not, one should maintain core muscle engagement by thinking "tall", or "growing tall", to avoid compressing those discs, while loading the vertebrae safely.

[@suicune2001]

Thanks!

[@Alexander-ok7fm]

Thank you 😊

[@sojournern]

I've been running close to 50 years and have no bone issues.

[@jbmg28]

I have a good friend who has also been running for 50 years. She also rides a bike, swims, and lifts weights. But she is tiny (5' tall and slim) and she has osteoporosis, despite a lifetime of running and weight training.

[@sojournern]

@@jbmg28 I'm sorry to hear about your friend. What kind of diet does she follow? Does she take b-12 and vitamin k2?

[@jbmg28]

@@sojournern Yes, she does. I think it is much more difficult for very small women. Even my sister-in-law, who is a dancer, is also very small and has osteoporosis.

[@sojournern]

@@jbmg28 Best of luck to them. I do believe that dairy actually hurts calcium intake, as has been shown in numerous observational studies. Bone fragility is important, and I hope they get the treatment they need. I've never heard about osteoporosis being more prevalent in smaller women. That could be something to look into.

[@jbmg28]

@@sojournern My sister in law does not consume dairy.

[@JosePerez1220]

Good info!

[@nazokashii]

Thank you so much

[@jdw0426]

Hop for health!

[@AndrewPawley11]

I love this channel!

[@djenza]

@@AndrewPawley11 Me too. 🙂

[@comena30]

Wouldn’t jumping jacks be just as helpful as jumping rope and easier to do indoors on carpeting?

[@Icarianbrother]

Yes!

[@comena30]

@@Icarianbrother Thank you

[@Icarianbrother]

@@comena30 You're welcome! Do jumping jacks improve bone density? "Many types of jump training - like jumping jacks - are also beneficial for your bone health. For example, a 2006 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that young women who did a regimen of 10 vertical jumps three days a week for six months strengthened the bones in their legs, as well as their lower spine."

[@comena30]

@@Icarianbrother Good to know!

[@WendyWahman]

I'm so glad you asked this, and thank you @lcarianbrother for answering since it's hard on my knees to hop on one leg. I just tried hopping (both legs) 50 times and it was kind of fun (my poodles came in and jumped with me 🙂)! I hopped in a slalom, up and down, and jumping jacks, so maybe that will also help build lateral strength too.

[@YukikoAkazui]

i wonder what a perfect week of workout, eating and drinking would look like according to dr. greger. I've been wondering for a while what else i could leave out or add to my routine to improve my health generally

[@lizpimentel2566]

​@jonnyoneplate He is a licensed Doctor. He went to school and practiced medicine for years before writing his books.

[@countchocula5379]

I love my Bellicon rebounder. Highly recommend! Life changing exercise.

[@selma5885]

I don't think a rebounder is weight bearing enough.

[@carolosborne126]

@@selma5885 Nope unfortunately it's not but it's fun!

[@ChaiJung]

The literature is split on whether the result of this is due to the exercise itself or the weight gain you get from hypertrophied type II muscle fibers.

[@arctan2010]

Careful, I’ve seen a few weight vest related injuries. Slow buildup is the key.

[@carolosborne126]

Really? I've been thinking about purchasing one. Can you tell us more?

[@arctan2010]

@@carolosborne126 back & shoulder injuries when they start too heavy and frequently. Rucking is even worse cuz ppl pile on the weights. One should be in good shape before using weight vests or rucks.

[@carolosborne126]

@@arctan2010 thanks for the info!

[@ClovettCC]

So if you have osteoarthritis without pain then you can do weight-bearing exercise as tolerated?

[@pickledbeaker5916]

indoor rope skipping is good walking outdoors with weighted vest in this heat sound really "fun"

[@EvilEmp1re]

Thanks science for confirming common sense.

[@chelisue]

What about rebuilding?

[@georgehornsby2075]

I suppose you could hop around like a one legged frog to build bone density or you could undertake a well structured resistance training program to safely build muscle strength and bone density throughout your body.

[@Mrnobody957]

@georgehornsby2075. Very well said. In-fact this is the most useless video on this channel with random, incomplete bits of useless data. The title is also misleading and this gentleman doctor seems to have given in to clickbait culture. I have seen the same trend in dogmatic diet gurus where they start to float above others.

[@Candleflower42]

A lot of us older folks have bad knees etc that prevent jumping etc. I’ve heard about a vibration plate that helps and is safe but is 2 or 3 grand.

[@carolosborne126]

That is called a Power Plate and they are expensive. Some gyms have them. I would suggest then weight/resistance training for sure with your balance exercises.

[@Candleflower42]

@@carolosborne126 I’m not speaking of the power plate, apparently it can be dangerous. This one was developed by a Clinton Rubin and his company is Merodyne. Heard about it on Margaret Martin’s channel, she’s a PT who specializes in osteoporosis. I think this one is even more expensive than the power plate.

[@GregariousAntithesis]

Walking stairs, running intervals on grass, squats, pushing and pulling the sled. I tried box jumps caused knee pain.

[@djw8888]

What is "multidirectional" hopping? Also, if you're overweight, do you need to carry additional weight while exercising?

[@TheRawAdvantage]

Suprised rebounding wasn’t listed, has more benefit in terms of bone health than just jumping on the ground due to more g force, but less strain on the joints due to the reduced impact of the trampoline.

[@wanda18221]

Doesn’t have the required impact. More of an aerobic/ lymphatic benefit.

[@xcast1]

Less strain on joints -> less g-force, rather low impact. Rebounding is good for recovery / progression, basic cardio, fun. But only little effect for bone and joint conditioning. Impact should carefully progress, when more is / becomes possible.

[@KarenParkerArtist]

@@TheRawAdvantage Exactly what I was going to ask.

[@MissTiffEYE]

@@TheRawAdvantage probably no studies done

[@TheRawAdvantage]

I know NASA has done some and I’ve seen some on pubmed, thus why confused.

[@kathy.7475]

I can’t jump or do high impact due to joint issues, particularly knees.

[@EricS-uf9mv]

You don't need to perform high impact. IN FACT, high impact is the least effective (relative to risk) way to build bone. Weight training/Resistance training is the most effective way. And you don't need to buy a $1600 bench/squat rack with a full set of weights. Just buy a couple sets of dumbbells... a pair of 15 & 25 lbs dumbbells for arms, a pair of 40 lbs for chest press, and perhaps a 50lbs kettlebell for a more advanced, whole body workout. Hell, you can just start off totally free just doing body weight exercises. But at some point you'll need to advance to weights.

[@kathy.7475]

@@EricS-uf9mv thanks. I have a dexa scan soon to see what the status of my bones is.

[@HeeJunFan]

Use a rebounder, mini trampoline

[@asldfjkalsdfjasdf]

so basically jump rope every day

[@yoginasser305]

I never developed the coordination to jump with a rope but jumping without a rope does the same thing😊

[@HybridParentSupport]

Hell yeah

[@kamifaye]

I wonder what an effect like vigorous dancing would have, I think it might be more plausible for people to do everyday as opposed to jumping 5x with a weighted vest 🙏💓😂

[@yoginasser305]

How much time should one do the hopping for everyday?

[@veg0machine]

15min

[@yoginasser305]

Just watch the video another time. 50 times on each foot everyday.

[@JustOneAsbesto]

Even the hopping every day group seemed to only increase their bone mineral density by 1.5%. That seems very low. How does that translate to fracture risk?

[@broddr]

It would be a significant improvement in outcome if impact exercise like hopping just stopped bone loss. That it actually _reversed_ age related bone loss into any amount of bone density gain is remarkable.

[@JustOneAsbesto]

@@broddr Yeah, that's a very good point. Also probably why the 0 times per week group LOST bone mineral density.

[@insightandintuition276]

What about rebounding does that work? Apparently it’s Ben proven effective for astronauts who lose bone mass while join space. Please someone tell me if this has worked for them🙏

[@Icarianbrother]

Do jump squats or better yet do single leg hops three days a week to build bone density. Make sure to wear sneakers and land on the balls of your feet. You can hold on to something secure when doing single leg hops to reduce the risk of a fall.

[@veganchiefwarrior6444]

You don't land on the balls of your feet.. you land on your toes and lower to the balls of your feet.. unless you want to cause joint issues, up to you

[@Icarianbrother]

@@veganchiefwarrior6444 Healthline- "Although it's effective for sprinting and short bursts of speed, landing too far forward on your toes isn't recommended for longer distances. It could lead to shin splints or other injuries. Common injuries: You may be more prone to injure your ankle, Achilles tendon, or shins."

[@veganchiefwarrior6444]

@@Icarianbrother better than not being able to walk at all because your knees were shattered from running on the ball of your feet instead of the natural spring effect of landing on your toes which protects your joints, we were designed to be on our toes, I spent 6 years barefoot, we walk on our toes naturally, running around on your heels is not only super goofy and uncomfortable but will quickly destroy you, I would have figured that to be somewhat common sense but guess not

[@Icarianbrother]

@@veganchiefwarrior6444 Thank you, my friend!

[@Jopie2112]

What if I wear a weighted vest while I sit watching these informative vids? No? You mean I have to get out there and move? Darn it! :-)

[@scottl7644]

😃😃😃

[@scottl7644]

😃😃😃

[@ithacacomments4811]

I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease in my spine. Bounding is a no no for those of us with DDD.

[@deecapps6637]

Me too. I was told no rebounding, jumping or running by my physical therapist 😞

[@carefulconsumer8682]

One problem I see is many older people have painful arthritis and can't do the harder exercises.

[@darabentley7575]

So backpacking?

[@michelem226]

Every time I try to do high impact exercise I get pain in my left knee, so I'm going to a physical therapist to get help :(

[@brendad3570]

@michelem226 You may want to make sure the PT has experience and knowledge of workouts for people with osteoporosis

[@michelem226]

@@brendad3570 I don't have osteoporosis. It's just my left knee due to an old injury plus muscle imbalance/weakness. I'm working on strengthening my hips in PT right now so that I'm not overloading my knee.

[@leftyfourguns]

I guess this data also disqualifies stuff like eliptical machines?

[@carolosborne126]

yup

[@kristinj7173]

@@leftyfourguns elliptical is still good cardio (and is more resistance for arms than walking, and gets your heart rate up more). As choices go, it is more weight-bearing than swimming or cycling, but any cardio is good for cardio training. I like to mix it up.

[@KarenParkerArtist]

Hooray jump rope!

[@dainasworldnumbers88]

This all gets me so depressed, whatever you do, it’s never good enough.

[@99draq]

ignorace is bliss

[@janedough6575]

Sometimes one needs to take a break from all the “information “ we have to sift through and just enjoy life. Otherwise what’s the point? 😊

[@insightandintuition276]

My knees won’t let me jump😒

[@c.vandenberg1559]

Anyone know about vibration therapy?

[@carolosborne126]

This from AI: Some studies have found that vibration therapy can increase bone density, especially in the hips, while others have not found any benefit. The exact mechanisms by which vibration therapy increases bone density are not well understood, but some hypotheses include: Bone cell activation Vibration signals may be transmitted into bone tissue, activating mechanosensors in bone cells. Anabolic activity Vibration may increase the anabolic activity of bone tissue, which builds bone. Fat repression Vibration may repress fat development, which can lead to increased bone density. Muscle tone and posture Vibration therapy can help develop muscle tone and improve posture, which can positively affect bones.

[@c.vandenberg1559]

@@carolosborne126 thanks for posting!

[@LAKSHMIANGELES]

BE CAREFUL IF YOU HAVE WEAK KNEES OR HAVE INJURED THEM SOMETIME OR HAVE OSTEOARTHRITIS OR HAVE HAD MENISCUS TEARS.🌺☮️💟🌺

[@zamfirtoth6441]

Said the frail little man

[@contact2001]

Now how do I convince my wife…..

[@Monk-Amani.]

Just do it.

[@tracyleighbasham]

Lead by example.

[@wfpbwfpb]

Tell her how much you love her and you want her to live a long healthy life and exercise will facilitate that. Or find a new wife. 😉

[@lispendens]

Tell her if she wants you to have that spark for her again like 10 years ago, she needs to lose the 50lb of fat because cellulite and thunder thighs and a belly is NOT attractive to men

[@catlyn777]

All you can do is be a role model and gentle encouragement. It’s 100% her choice.

[@AH-cy4md]

I’m curious if there’s any significant benefit from standing on a vibration plate?

[@gm7304]

In times like this I try to keep my funny bone🦴 healthy so I don't cry😩Boo hoo. Now give me 25 jumping jacks for the healthy like I just gave you, and turn my frown upside down😃

[@gm7304]

The boneyard awaits 🪦☠

[@bernadinetemple]

In addition to the above excellent answers I suggest you show your wife a KZbin video of a hip, knee, and other body part replacement surgeries necessary when you fall from osteoporosis or brittle bones break caused by osteoporosis when you accidentally fall.

[@berniefynn6623]

FREE WEIGHTS BUILDS BONE

[@selma5885]

Daily 2 mile hilly walker for 30+ years and 15 years of yoga with nutrient dense diet and diagnosed at age 62 with moderate osteoporosis in hips and spine.

[@MatthewMartinDean]

I AM TYPING WITH MAXIMUM FORCE TO BUILD FINGER BONE STRENGTH

[@user-yj5xo9yi5z]

I am glad I’m bald. Who else is bald

[@PlantbasedSilvi]

It's a shame that we who are paralysed are given so little consideration. What can we do? Do vibration mats while sitting or standing help? Or EMS? Because we can't jump!

[@veganchiefwarrior6444]

Is walking even necessary then or should i just run and workout every day instead

[@notthere83]

"[...] weight-bearing exercises [...]. [...] lower impact exercises such as [...] weight training." - I'm confused. In addition to weight training being called "low impact", all exercises described seem to mostly put stress on legs and hips?

[@larryharvey7709]

So fat people have stronger bones? Makes sense.

[@kazzz2765]

Just do weight lifting. It’s the best way to increase bone density. It’s so obvious i’m not sure why these studies are even being made.

[@dianeladico1769]

It was for the purpose of having a built-in control. That's how science works.

[@xcast1]

Watch again. Weight lifting really is low impact. Can just be an adjunct

[@chiyerano]

To confirm or disprove what we have always suspected about these things.

[@kazzz2765]

@@xcast1 Isnt low impact also more like swimming and wllipticals?

[@kazzz2765]

@@chiyerano That’s like writing papers on how alcoholism can lead to liver cirrhosis. Some science is just redundant. Thinking that running, let alone walking, can somehow improve your upper body bone density is just stupid

[@sooooooooDark]

tough sell to vegetable police

[@seanhammon6639]

OK. I'm going for a run...

[@conviviostates6540]

Hiking it is then ⛰️ - sweet 😊