Is It Safe To Exercise With Osteoporosis?
Understanding the benefits and risks of staying active
After being diagnosed with osteoporosis, the idea of exercise might seem daunting. Staying active is not only safe when done correctly, but has also been found to be one of the most effective things you can do to manage your condition to help your bones and overall well-being.
Exercise is an important factor for bone health and osteoporosis, and is something everyone can benefit from. It can be adapted and individualised to everyone, no matter their age, condition or whether they have broken bones. It’s never too late to start exercising. The Royal Osteoporosis Society UK (2025) suggests that if you’re well enough to engage in higher intensity exercise, there is even a possibility that your bone strength and density can improve. If you’ve had multiple fractures or broken bones, some exercises may need to be changed to ensure they are safe, however, exercise is unlikely to cause a broken bone (Royal Osteoporosis Society, 2025).
Regular exercise is essential for everyone, but especially those with osteoporosis. Exercise guidelines in the UK state that individuals should aim to complete 150 minutes of exercise across the week. This can be broken up into smaller bouts at a time and can include activities such as walking and dancing. For those with osteoporosis, weight-bearing and resistance exercises are important as they have been found to be the most beneficial mode of exercise for improving bone density and helping to prevent further bone loss (NHS, 2022).
Current research suggests a multitude of benefits of exercise for those with osteoporosis. These can be both physical and psychological, and can also have great impacts on other aspects of your life. Some key benefits include:
- Improves and maintains bone mineral density
- Strengthens muscles and improves joint stability
- Improves balance and coordination to decrease falls risk
- Maintains posture, flexibility and mobility
- Manages mood and mental health
While exercise has many benefits, it’s also important to be wary of any potential risks throughout the day. For those who have more advanced osteoporosis, there may be things you are discouraged from doing. It’s important to speak to your doctors and a clinical exercise professional to ensure you can complete appropriate exercises in a safe and progressive manner.
How to exercise safely to strengthen your bones
The right kind of exercise can play a powerful role in your treatment journey. Although individual goals may vary depending on diagnosis, current capacity and other factors, the main goal to manage osteoporosis is to strengthen your muscles, improve balance, stimulate bone growth and in turn decrease your risk of injury. Weight bearing, resistance and balance training are the main modes of exercise that will assist with reaching these goals.
Weight bearing means that exercise is completed on your feet, where your legs are supporting your weight. High-impact weight-bearing exercises are important to strengthen your muscles, ligaments and joints. This includes activities such as running, dancing and jumping. For those that may not be able to complete these exercises, activities such as brisk walking, fitness classes or a game of tennis could be a great alternative.
Resistance exercise is a form that uses a form of resistance that may include weights, bands or even body weight. Muscle strength is built where the tendons in our body pull on and stress the bones, therefore stimulating bone growth and development. Movements that use multiple joints and muscle groups are beneficial. Some examples of these include squats, shoulder press and deadlifts. Try and complete strength exercises at least twice throughout your week.
Although balance training is not as effective at improving bone strength directly, it is a key factor at decreasing falls risk, the main cause of breaks and fractures, in which our risk continues to increase as we age. Specific balance exercises, including single-leg stance or heel-to-toe walking, and activities, including yoga and Tai Chi, are great options for supporting balance. This will also help you feel confident to continue doing the things you love throughout the day.
Tips and tricks to get started and stay consistent
Exercise is not only safe for osteoporosis, it’s essential. Chat to your healthcare team about ways you can change your week to help support your osteoporosis treatment journey. Here are some useful tips to get started and stay consistent with your exercise throughout the week:
- Do something you enjoy – don’t let exercise feel like a chore
- Start small – break your exercise into 5-10 minutes a day, three times a week, and build it up each week
- Plan out your exercise for the week – set a schedule that is realistic and stick to it
- Exercise with someone else – catch up with a friend and do your exercise together, this will help you enjoy it more!
- Set some goals – what can you not currently do that you’d love to be able to do in the future? (Think big and small)
- Consult with an exercise professional – get something booked in that you can commit to, as well as making sure the exercise you’re doing is safe and appropriate for you
- Have regular check-ins with your doctor – book in an annual DEXA scan to see how your bone mineral density is going and adjust your treatment where needed
References
NHS. (2022, October 13). Osteoporosis. NHS. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/
Royal Osteoporosis Society. (2025). Osteoporosis – Low bone density. Retrieved from https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/
