12 Weight Bearing Exercises To Enhance Bone Density

Biceps curl involves lifting weights while standing, which puts pressure on your bones, increasing bone density when performed with proper form and correct weight selection.

By contracting your bicep muscles while holding a weight, you put stress on the bones in your arm, promoting bone growth and strength. You can perform it using either dumbbells or a resistance band, performed seated or standing.

How To Do:

• Stand tall while carrying a dumbbell in each hand.
• Then, pull the hands or weights in toward your chest, watching the biceps on the fronts of your upper arms contract.
• Afterward, lower your arms to return to your starting position.
• Repeat 8-12 times, and perform for 2-3 sets.
• You can rest and repeat for another set, if possible.

It is a good weight-bearing exercise that targets the bones in your feet, ankles, and legs. This exercise improves bone density, especially for people with osteoporosis.

The goal is to reduce the risk of osteoporosis by challenging the key body areas such as the hips. A great way to challenge your hip bones is through foot stumps.

How To Do:

• While standing, stomp your foot at first, imagining you are crushing an imaginary bottle can underneath it.
• Then, repeat four times on one foot, followed by the repetitions on the other.
• You could hold on to a railing or sturdy furniture if you have difficulty maintaining your balance.

Shoulder lift can be considered a weight-bearing exercise for bones since it stresses the shoulder and surrounding bone structure, especially when performed while supporting your body weight.

When you lift your arms with a weight, the force exerted on your shoulder bones triggers a cellular response that encourages bone formation.

How To Do:

• First, take a dumbbell in each hand or step on a resistance band while holding an end in each hand.
• Start with your arms down and hands at your sides.
• Then, slowly raise your arms straight before your body, but don't lock your elbows. 
• Now, lift to a comfortable height, but no higher than shoulder level.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times. Rest and repeat for a second set if possible.

Squats put force on your bones while moving your body weight against gravity, which can help strengthen them. It helps in bolstering your legs, hips, and spine, making them a good exercise for bone health.

When you perform a squat, your leg muscles engage and pull on your bones, stimulating bone growth and density. Also, it targets the muscles and bones in your thighs and knees, making this workout preferable for strengthening these areas.

How To Do:

• Start with your feet hip-width apart. To maintain balance, rest your hands lightly on a sturdy piece of furniture or counter.
• Then, bend at your knees to slowly be in a squat-down position. Also, keep your back straight and lean slightly forward, feeling your legs working.
• Squat only until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Tighten your buttocks to return to the standing position.
• You can go for multiple sets of repetitions about 8-12 times.

Lunges also effectively work multiple muscle groups in your legs, further enhancing bone health by supporting the muscles around the bones. You can adjust the difficulty of lunges by adding weights or changing the depth of the lunge to suit your fitness level.

When you perform a lunge, your leg muscles engage when you lower your body weight onto one leg, putting stress on the bones and further stimulating bone density over time.

How To Do:

• Start with your feet hip-width apart. If you need help balancing, hold onto a counter or piece of furniture.
• Then, take a step forward a little longer than you would if you were walking.
• Now, stand with one leg in front of your body and the other behind. Keep your front foot flat with your back heel off the ground.
• Afterward, bend your knees about 90 degrees, keeping your front knee aligned with your ankle and behind the toes.
• Ensure your core is engaged, and your hips located at the same height. Your back knee shouldn't touch the ground.
• Finally, push off your front leg to return to standing position.

Pushups are a popular weight bearing workout as they involve your hands and feet supporting the body weight, which then places stress on your bones, and stimulates bone growth.

While doing this exercise, the force generated through your hands and feet transmits to your bones, promoting bone density. It also works for other muscle groups such as the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

How To Do:

• Start in a high plank position. Place your hands on the ground and position them shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider).
• With control, bend your elbows to lower your entire body toward the ground.
• Lower as far as you can while keeping your body in one straight line.
• Pause at the bottom. Repeat the same step in multiple sets with repetitions.

As the name implies, hamstring curls directly engage the hamstring muscles, which attach to the bones in your lower leg, creating tension that enhances bone density.

While doing this exercise, your body weight gets supported by your foot while the muscles contract against it. If needed, place your hands on heavy furniture or other sturdy item to improve your balance.

How To Do:

• First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and move your left foot back until only your toes touch the floor.
• Then, contract the muscles in the back of your left leg to lift your heel toward your buttocks.
• Slowly lower your left foot back to its starting position.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times. Rest and repeat the exercise on the right leg.

This exercise strengthens the muscles around your hips and enhances your balance. Ensure you place your hands on a piece of a sturdy item to improve your balance, if necessary.

If you have osteoporosis, hip leg lifts can be a valuable exercise to help slow bone loss and reduce fracture risk. 

How To Do:

• Start with your feet hip-width apart. Then, shift your weight to your left foot.
• Then, flex your right foot and keep your right leg straight as you lift to the side, no more than 6 inches off the ground.
• Lower your right leg. Then, repeat the leg lift 8 to 12 times.
• Return to your starting position and do another set using your left leg.
• You can also raise both legs at the same time.

Elliptical training exercise is a great way to get a full-body workout without putting too much stress on your joints. You can use an elliptical machine at the gym or home.

This exercise uses weights, resistance bands, or body weight to strengthen your muscles. Strong muscles, especially around your spine, can help protect your bones. 

How To Do:

• First, step onto the elliptical machine and face the screen.
• Then, start pedaling in an oval (or elliptical) shape, or select a workout program from its library.
• If it’s a cross-trainer, pull the hand bars towards you as you go. Use them to work your upper body if the machine has moveable arms.
• To make it harder, increase the resistance, expressed as up or down arrows on the console.
• Keep pulling and pedaling for as long as you want. You can also monitor how long you have been working out.

This simple, free workout is a great way to boost your bone health. Brisk walking is best, but you should adapt your speed to your fitness level.

It aids in strengthening your feet and legs by putting stress on your bones and supporting your body weight. When you walk briskly, the force of your steps stimulates bone growth and density.

How To Do:

• Begin with a few minutes of light walking to prepare your muscles.
• Stand tall with shoulders relaxed, core engaged, and gaze straight ahead. 
• Strike the ground with your heel first, then roll through your foot to push off with your toes. Aim to take around 100 steps per minute. 
• Keep your arms swinging naturally at your sides with a bend at the elbows. 
• Breathe deeply and rhythmically while walking.
• If you easily hold a conversation, pick up the pace slightly.
• Finish with a few minutes of slow walking to help your body recover. 

This simple exercise is easy to practice at home and will help improve balance. Do this exercise with a sturdy piece of furniture in case you need something to hold onto.

How To Do:

• Choose a flat, even surface where you can comfortably stand.
• Now, stand with your feet hip-width apart, your weight evenly distributed between both feet.
• Then, slowly lift one foot off the ground, bending your knee and keeping your thigh parallel to the floor.
• Afterward, engage your core muscles to stabilize your body.
• Then, stand on one foot for 30 seconds to 1 minute, if possible.
• Slowly lower your leg back to the ground and repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Burpees are a form of resistance and weight-bearing activity, making them a fantastic method to strengthen your bones. This plyometric exercise involves quick and powerful jumps, which put more stress on your bones.

How To Do:

• Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart in a squat position, placing your hands flat on the floor inside your feet.
• Then, take your feet back into a pushup position, squeezing your shoulder blades, abs, and glutes.
• Now, bend at the elbows to lower your chest down to the floor. Control this movement rather than throwing yourself down.
• Press back up into the pushup and leap your feet forward back to the initial squatting position.
• Explore straight up into the air, with triple extension through the ankle, knee, and hip.
• Land back on the floor and repeat for 10-15 repetitions.