This Type of Exercise Is Essential for Bone Health—Here's What You Need to Know

There are a lot of ways to categorize exercise—cardio or strength, aerobic or anaerobic, static or dynamic, eccentric or concentric—and sometimes the differences between these nuanced labels can get a little confusing.

That can definitely be the case with weight-bearing exercise and non-weight-bearing exercise. Does “weight-bearing” mean you’re carrying your own weight or adding resistance? Are you supposed to be moving or sitting still while shouldering the load? And why is it so important for healthy bones? Keep reading for these answers—and more.

What Exactly Is Weight-Bearing Exercise?

“Weight-bearing” exercise refers to any physical activity that “loads the joints and muscles [while you] resist gravity to remain upright,” says Peloton instructor Rebecca Kennedy. In other words, you’re doing a weight-bearing exercise if you’re up on your feet and moving.

You’ll often hear about weight-bearing exercise as an important key to bone health. It’s crucial in slowing the bone loss that can become more common with age, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you don’t take steps to minimize bone loss, you could end up with osteoporosis, which is when you lose bone mass, density, and strength, per the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

In that context, health experts are usually referring to weight-bearing cardio exercise. Strength training is also crucial for protecting your bones, but it’s often considered a separate type of activity, per the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), although some strength training is also weight-bearing.

A helpful way to think of the differences, according to Sanford Health, is:

Health organizations generally recommend getting plenty of both weight-bearing cardio and strength training (more on how much is enough below).

Are All Exercises Considered “Weight-Bearing”?

Nope. Seated exercises aren’t weight-bearing because you’re not using your legs to work against gravity. Similarly, exercises that remove gravity from the equation, like swimming, aren’t weight-bearing, Rebecca says, because something other than your own legs is supporting your weight.

Examples of Weight-Bearing Exercises

Some examples of weight-bearing exercises, according to Rebecca and the AAOS, include:

Examples of Exercises That Do Not Count As Weight Bearing

Some examples of non-weight-bearing exercises, according to Rebecca and the AAOS, include:

These exercises won’t help your bones, but they are absolutely still helpful for your overall health and wellness. If you enjoy doing these activities, you should keep doing them. If you’re concerned about your bone health, just make sure you’re also getting plenty of weight-bearing activity.

The Health Benefits of Doing Weight-Bearing Exercises

Weight-bearing exercise is best known for building or maintaining your bone density, but it’s not the only benefit. Here are some of the major ways weight-bearing activity helps from head to toe.

Better Bone Density

“Weight-bearing exercises help either increase or maintain bone density and overall joint health,” Rebecca says. That’s mainly because, much like your muscles, your bones also respond to the “stress” of exercise by growing stronger, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).

Your bones adapt to the impact of weight-bearing exercise over time. Over time, you can gradually progress. Just like you lift more weight or bang out more reps in a progressive strength-training program to build more muscle, you can increase how far you walk, add some inclines, or pick up the pace to keep your weight-bearing exercise challenging, for example.

The impact “helps stimulate production and balance of specific hormones that help with bone density when estrogen levels typically decline,” Rebecca adds. This hormonal boost is a good thing for 50+ women, especially: Estrogen naturally helps slow bone breakdown, but natural estrogen levels drop at menopause, making women much more likely to develop osteoporosis, according to the Endocrine Society.

A Healthier Heart

Because weight-bearing exercises are also often pretty active, they “improve cardio conditioning and are great for your heart health,” Rebecca says. Remember, a lot of weight-bearing exercises are essentially standing cardio: The more you walk, hike, dance, or play pickleball, the more your heart and lungs adapt to the activity, resulting in greater cardiovascular fitness and endurance—at any age.

Better Balance

Weight-bearing exercise also helps you practice moving through space without losing your footing. “Activities like aerobics, dancing, and team sports improve agility, proprioception, balance, coordination, and posture,” Rebecca says. The more you work on your balance, coordination, and posture, the less likely you are to fall—a good thing, because falling puts people with osteoporosis at risk of fractures, per the IOF.

It’s also a good idea to incorporate some exercises into your routine that specifically focus on improving your balance if you’re worried about your bone health, according to the NIAMS, to further prevent falls. Try walking backwards, standing on one foot, walking on unstable surfaces, and tai chi.

Less Stress

Regular weight-bearing exercise also has mental health benefits: You can expect “increased endorphins supporting mood and energy, serotonin for sleep, and a reduction in cortisol levels,” Rebecca says. A boost in endorphins, those feel-good brain chemicals behind the famed “runner’s high,” and a dip in the stress hormone cortisol can help you feel more relaxed and handle what life throws at you with ease. That’s “incredibly powerful for women going through menopause as well,” Rebecca says, because stress, depression, anxiety, and irritability are common during that major hormonal transition, as is trouble sleeping, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Can Be Low-Impact

If you’re already dealing with some bone loss, high-impact exercise can do more harm than good. But luckily, weight-bearing exercises like walking, hiking, and aerobics all deliver the same benefits above with less stress on your bones and joints than running or jumping, Rebecca says. “These have lower risk of injury, a lower bar to entry, and can be done by mostly everyone.” Plus, when you have less stress on your joints, you can exercise more often and for longer than if you went too hard and got burned out or injured. “The body adapts quickly to these types of weight-bearing exercises,” she says, so you’ll see encouraging progress fast.

How Often Should You Do Weight-Bearing Exercise?

Try to get 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise five times a week, Rebecca says. If that feels like a lot, you can break it down into three 10-minute sessions throughout your day, according to the AAOS. And if you’re brand-new to exercise, start with just a few minutes and see how you feel. You can work up to 30 minutes, five times a week in time.

If you’re already pretty comfortable with weight-bearing exercise, you can do more: According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults can benefit from a minimum of 2.5 to 5 hours of activity a week, but more is even better. 

For the best overall workout routine for bone health (and health in general!), pair your weight-bearing cardio with at least two strength-training sessions per week. Aim to work all your major muscle groups, and give yourself at least one rest day between strength workouts, per the AAOS.

How to Integrate Weight-Bearing Exercises Into Your Fitness Routine

Start by making sure you’re clear to exercise. If you already have concerns about your bone health or a doctor has diagnosed you with osteoporosis in the past, talk to a health care professional before you start any new type of exercise. You could be more likely to fall or risk breaking a bone, according to the Mayo Clinic. A doctor might want to do some tests to help determine the safest types of weight-bearing exercise for you.

As long as you have the green light, you can choose any type of weight-bearing exercise you enjoy. That will make you more likely to stick with it, according to the AAOS. 

Then choose your level of intensity and impact “based on your own fitness, personal preference, past/current injuries, health conditions, and a realistic approach to how often you're able to work this into your weekly routine,” Rebecca says. 

Remember, any activity that has you up on your feet and moving counts as weight-bearing exercise, so you’re probably already doing some, even in the comfort of your own home. Now it’s a matter of holding yourself accountable and staying motivated to stick with it for the long haul. Your bones will thank you.

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.