5 Exercises to Care for Your Bones

Certain strength exercises can help care for your bones to increase bone density and prevent injury. They’re also ideal for improving your coordination.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor José Gerardo Rosciano Paganelli.

Written by Daniela Echeverri Castro

Last update: 30 May, 2022

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to care for your bones. While it must be complemented by good nutrition, a healthy training routine can contribute significantly to maintaining good bone density.

In fact, this type of activity increases your strength and decreases your risk of suffering from chronic diseases, like osteoporosis. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which is crucial to prevent bone diseases and inflammatory disorders.

Best of all, you don’t need to go to a gym to achieve these goals. While weights and machines will help you build strength, there are alternative ways to do it at home.

What are your best options?

Find out today!

Exercises You Can do at Home to Care for Your Bones

Bones, just like muscles, are living tissues that get stronger when you exercise them.

Exercise also helps you increase your muscle strength and work on skills like coordination and balance. All of this will reduce your risk of falling and fracturing bones, especially people at higher risk, like menopausal women and the elderly.

Let’s take a look at five excellent options:

1-Squats

• Stand upright, with your legs hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees until your glutes are even with them.
• Avoid bending your torso, hold this pose for several seconds, and return to the starting position.
• Do three sets of 12 repetitions each.

Note: If you want to increase the level of difficulty, do it by holding a dumbbell.

2-The lizard

This strength training exercise is a great way to strengthen the bones in your upper body. Because of the effort it requires of your arms, it can increase muscle and bone mass.
What should you do?

• Lay face down on the floor or a yoga mat. Support yourself by your hands and toes.
• Stretch your arms to push your body off the floor and bend them without touching the floor.
• Return to the starting position and perform three sets of 10 repetitions each.

3-Hip raises

Hip raises have multiple benefits when it comes to caring for your bones and strengthening your muscles. In addition to building strength in your legs and glutes, they also work your abdomen and relax your lower back.

This exercise is also ideal for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.

How should you do it?

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands at your sides and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
• Contract your abdomen and glutes and hold this pose for five seconds.
• Return to the starting position slowly and do three sets of 10 repetitions each.

4-Leg lifts

While this exercise works the glutes, it’s also a good way to strengthen your bones – especially the spine. It might be difficult to keep your balance at first, but you’ll quickly master it with practice.

What should you do?

• Support yourself on your hands and knees.
• Lift one leg backwards and extend it until it reaches the level of your glutes.
• Hold this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.
• Do three sets of 12 repetitions per side.

5-Steps

To finish this short routine to take care of your bones we suggest climbing steps. It’s an exercise that involves natural movements of the legs, strengthening your muscles and bones. In particular, it will increase the strength of the knee joints.

What should you do?

• Stand in front of a hard, elevated surface like a bench or step.
• Next, place one foot on the step, transfer your weight, and straighten the front leg.
• Keep your arms at your sides and, if you wish, hold some dumbbells.
• Climb backwards off the step and repeat the exercise with the opposite leg.
• Perform three sets of 20 repetitions, alternating legs.

Are you ready to try these easy exercises? As you can see, they’re simple and don’t take too much of your time. The most important thing is getting regular exercise because you’ll only notice the effects after some time.