What's The Best Way to Increase Bone Density?

Bone density doesn't make headlines the way muscle mass or VO2 max does. But it should, because once you cross into your 40s, bone loss becomes one of the quieter risk factors driving the trajectory of your longevity age, and most people have no idea what kind of exercise actually protects it, let alone how much.

A new study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42716561/) aims to change that. It pooled 124 randomized controlled trials covering 18,429 participants aged 40 and older. The goal was to determine which type and dose of exercise actually preserves bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (lower back), femoral neck (thigh), and total hip. It also looked at fracture risk.

Here's what moved the needle:

Lumbar spine: Brisk walking or jogging produced the clearest benefit, matched by combined aerobic-resistance training.

Femoral neck: Brisk walking or jogging again showed benefit, and mind-body exercise (like tai chi, yoga-based practice) also performed well here, a modality that doesn't usually get credit for bone benefits.

Total hip: Brisk walking or jogging was the standout, and the only modality showing a clear effect.

Fracture risk: Brisk walking didn't do much for fracture risk, but mixed aerobic exercise (including strength training and jumping exercises) cut fracture odds by 71%, and mind-body exercise reduced it by 42%.

What's clear is that brisk walking or jogging gives clear benefits to bone density and reduces fracture risk when combined with strength training or jumping exercises. But it's not a linear "just do more" amount. Patients that did too much training lost some of the benefits. In practical terms, the best dose appears to be around 2 to 3 hours of brisk walking or jogging weekly. Adding mind-body practices like tai chi are also a great multiplier.

So what does this mean for longevity?

You don't need to overhaul your training to protect your bones - but you do need to keep active. If you want to know where your own bone health and functional risk actually stand rather than guess, that's exactly what the Activate Your Age assessment is built to measure. Contact us to book a test or learn more!