The Best Type of Exercise to Prevent Bone Loss? WHEN Q&A
Short answer: A mix of resistance training, weight-bearing exercise and balance work, all three together.
What this looks like
Weight-bearing, impact exercise builds bone. Fast walking, jogging, stairs, dancing and aerobics all count.
Resistance training builds it too. Lifting, pushing or pulling, in whatever form you can access. Heavier loads offer some extra benefit, but you don’t need to train heavy to get real results. A range of loads works.
Balance and mobility training matters just as much. Falls, not just bone density, are often what leads to fracture.
Why it works
Loading your bones through movement stimulates new bone growth. You don’t need large volumes of exercise for this. Short bursts, with rest between them, are enough.
If you have osteoporosis or a history of fracture, some of this changes. Our article on osteoporosis and bone density covers what to adjust. Osteoporosis and Menopause – WHEN
Healthy Bones Australia Osteoporosis Prevention – Healthy Bones for Life without Fracture is a good place to go for more detailed information and support.
If bladder leakage is part of your experience, pelvic floor work belongs in your plan too.
REFERENCES
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Healthy Bones Australia. (2024). Osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and management in postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age.
Watson, S.L., Weeks, B.K., Weis, L.J., Harding, A.T., Horan, S.A., & Beck, B.R. (2019). High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 34(3), 475–485.
Howe, T.E., Shea, B., Dawson, L.J., Downie, F., Murray, A., Ross, C., Harbour, R.T., Caldwell, L.M., & Creed, G. (2011). Exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Mohebbi, R., Shojaa, M., Kohl, M., von Stengel, S., Jakob, F., Kerschan-Schindl, K., Lange, U., Peters, S., Thomasius, F., Uder, M., & Kemmler, W. (2023). Exercise training and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. Osteoporosis International, 34, 1145–1178.
Developed by the WHEN Clinical Team
Clinically reviewed by the WHEN Clinical Governance Committee
Last reviewed: 16/07/2026
With clinical input from Dr Rhea Psereckis, FRACGP, FAFPHM, Public Health Physician and General Practitioner, Master of Applied Epidemiology scholar.
With clinical input from Peta Titter, RN, Grad Cert Continence Nursing, Advanced Diploma of Pilates. Honours by Research (diastasis recti). PhD candidate, University of Tasmania. Founder and CEO, WHEN.
