I’ve spent almost four decades as a personal trainer, and the last 25 years running TRAINFITNESS, the UK’s favorite provider of in-person and online personal training courses. That work has given me a close view of how bone loss affects people after 60.
The risk of fracture climbs sharply as we age, and a broken hip or wrist can change your whole life, threatening your independence. But bone is living tissue, and it responds to the right exercise at any age. Here are the five exercises I use with my own clients to rebuild bone strength, plus what most people get wrong along the way.
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Common Mistakes I See
The most common issue I see is that people simply haven’t been loading their bones enough for years. They’ve been doing cardiovascular work like walking or cycling, which is good for the heart, but it doesn’t put the kind of mechanical stress on the skeleton that stimulates bone growth. I also see a lot of fear. People become so worried about falling or hurting themselves that they stop moving altogether, and that inactivity speeds up the very loss they’re trying to avoid.
Another problem is that people focus only on one area, like the spine, while ignoring the wrists and hips. Fractures happen at all three sites, and they all need specific loading. Many clients also rely heavily on diet and supplements, thinking that’s enough, and they’re often disappointed when their scan numbers don’t improve. The missing piece is almost always the exercise stimulus.
Why Exercise Beats Supplements
Bone is living tissue that rebuilds in response to mechanical load. When you put force through a bone, it creates a tiny electrical signal that tells the body to lay down new bone exactly where that stress occurred. That loading signal is the trigger, and without it, the body has no real instruction to build.
Calcium and vitamin D are the raw materials your body needs to do that building. They’re necessary, but they don’t provide the instruction. That’s why supplements alone have only a modest effect on density. The exercise supplies the stimulus that supplements can’t, and the two work best together.
If you’ve been prescribed supplements, keep taking them and talk to your doctor before making any changes. And if you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, check with your doctor before starting this program, avoid loaded forward-bending of the spine, and keep any impact gentle and appropriate.
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Heel Drops
This is a gentle, controlled impact that sends a signal up through the legs, hips and spine, telling that bone to strengthen. It’s one of the simplest ways to load bone at home, and it targets the hip, which is the most serious fracture site.
How to Do It:
- Stand tall, holding a countertop for balance.
- Rise up onto the balls of your feet.
- Drop your heels firmly down onto the floor so you feel a solid but comfortable jolt.
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t drop so hard that it hurts your joints, or so soft that there’s no impact at all. Keep it firm and controlled, not painful.
Sets and Reps: 10 to 15 drops, resting between sets if needed.
Step-Ups
Stepping up onto a raised surface loads the hip and thigh bones with your own bodyweight. That resistance is exactly what builds bone in the legs and hips, and it’s a movement you use every day when you climb stairs.
How to Do It:
- Stand in front of a sturdy step or the bottom stair, holding the rail.
- Step up with one foot and bring the other up to meet it.
- Step back down under control.
- Lead with the other leg next time.
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t push off your back foot or haul yourself up on the rail. Drive up through the stepping leg and use the rail only for balance.
Sets and Reps: 10 reps on each leg.
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Loaded Carry
Carrying a weight loads the spine, hips and wrists all at once. It also mirrors a real task like carrying your groceries, so this is strength you’ll actually use in daily life. It’s a highly functional movement.
How to Do It:
- Hold a grocery bag or a weight in each hand.
- Stand tall with your shoulders back.
- Walk slowly for 20 to 30 seconds, keeping your body upright.
- Rest, then repeat.
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t let the weight pull your shoulders forward into a slump. Stay tall through the whole carry, and start lighter than you think you need.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 rounds of 20 to 30 seconds.
Single-Leg Stand
Most fractures after 60 come from falls, so training balance protects the bones you’re already working to build. Standing on one leg trains the balance and ankle strength that keep you upright in the first place.
How to Do It:
- Stand behind a chair with a hand resting on it.
- Lift one foot just off the floor.
- Hold your balance for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Swap legs and repeat.
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t grip the chair hard and lean on it. Use the lightest touch you can manage so your balance system is actually working.
Form Tip: As you improve, use just a fingertip for support, then work up to no support at all.
Wall or Counter Push-Up
Pressing your bodyweight through your hands loads the wrists and forearms, a common fracture site that most routines forget. It also strengthens the arms and chest, which helps with everyday tasks like getting out of a chair.
How to Do It:
- Stand facing a wall or a kitchen counter.
- Place your hands flat on it at shoulder width.
- Keep your body straight from heels to head.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the surface.
- Push back to the start.
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t let your hips sag or your head drop. Keep your body in one straight line so the load goes through your arms and wrists.
Sets and Reps: 10 to 12 reps. The lower the surface, the harder it is.
How Often to Do This
Bone responds to being loaded regularly, so most days is good. The whole set takes 10 to 15 minutes, which makes it easy to fit into a morning routine. I’d suggest doing it three to five times a week, giving yourself a rest day in between if you feel any soreness.
Start by building up the impact of the heel drops and the weight of the carry gradually over the first few weeks. Don’t rush it. Pair this with a diet that includes enough calcium and vitamin D, and you’re giving your body both the instruction and the materials it needs.
What to Expect
Balance and strength improve within weeks, and that’s the result that matters most right away since it cuts your fall risk early. You’ll feel steadier on your feet and more confident in daily movement before you see any change on a scan.
Bone density itself changes slowly. A scan won’t show a big jump quickly, so expect a timeline of 6 to 12 months and longer. The goal is to slow or halt the loss and reduce your fracture risk, and that’s a positive result even when the number on the scan moves slowly. Consistency is what gets you there.
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