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7 Safe Exercises for Women with Osteoporosis (and 3 to Avoid)

Marischa·
osteoporosisbone healthsafe exerciseover 60strength trainingseniors
7 Safe Exercises for Women with Osteoporosis (and 3 to Avoid)

An osteoporosis diagnosis often lands like a verdict. The women I work with tell me they came home, put the paperwork on the kitchen table, and stopped moving for a month out of fear of breaking something. That's the one outcome that actually makes the diagnosis worse.

I'm Marischa. As a NASM-certified trainer with the Senior Fitness Specialist credential, and here's what the evidence is really telling us: the right exercise, done consistently, is one of the few non-pharmacological tools that measurably supports bone density after menopause. The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation is unambiguous about this, and the research summarised at NIAMS (NIH) continues to reinforce it.

But some exercises help. Some hurt. This is a checklist of both — seven safe moves to build into your weekly routine, and three common ones to stop doing now.

First: A Few Ground Rules

Before the list, three non-negotiables.

  1. See your GP or a specialist physio before starting a new programme. I'm confident in what follows, but your bone density, fracture history, and any other medical conditions matter. A quick assessment is always worth it.
  2. Move through pain-free ranges only. If a movement hurts, stop and modify.
  3. Consistency trumps intensity. Three short sessions a week for a year will do more for your bones than six intense weeks followed by a quiet month.

The 7 Safe Exercises

1. Wall Push-Ups

Stand arm's length from a wall, palms on the wall at shoulder height. Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall, then push back. Three sets of 10.

Wall push-ups load the wrists and arms gently, and wrist fractures are one of the most common osteoporotic fractures. Building strength through the whole kinetic chain matters.

2. Sit-to-Stand (Squats)

From a sturdy chair, stand up without hands if possible, sit back down with control. Three sets of 10.

This loads the hips, which are the fracture site we most want to protect. The NHS specifically recommends sit-to-stand for older adults as a functional strength-builder.

3. Heel Drops

Stand holding a counter. Rise onto your toes, then lower your heels with a small, controlled drop back to the floor. 15 repetitions.

The gentle impact of heel drops stimulates bone-building cells. Studies summarised by the National Institute on Aging have linked repetitive, controlled impact to improved bone density in the hip.

4. Standing Hip Hinges (Weighted)

Feet hip-width, hold a small weight (2–5 lb) at your chest. Keeping your back neutral (not rounded, important), bend at the hips and push your bottom back, lowering the weight to about knee height. Stand back up. Three sets of 8.

This teaches you to pick things up without rounding your spine — a lifelong skill. Pair it with reading our piece on best exercises for posture after 60.

5. Single-Leg Balance (Supported)

Hold a counter, lift one foot slightly, hold 20–30 seconds. Switch. Practised daily, this reduces fall risk, and falls are the mechanism of most osteoporotic fractures. See our fuller balance exercises guide.

6. Resistance Band Rows

Loop a resistance band around a sturdy doorknob. Hold the ends, step back until there's tension, and pull the handles toward your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades. Three sets of 12.

This strengthens the upper back, the muscles that hold you upright and resist the forward-rounding posture that increases compression-fracture risk in the spine.

7. Brisk Walking

30 minutes, most days. Walking provides gentle, repeated impact that supports hip and spine bone density. It's not sufficient on its own for osteoporosis (you need the strength work too), but it's a beautifully consistent base. Our guide on walking 30 minutes a day is a solid starting point.

The 3 Exercises to Avoid (or Modify Carefully)

1. Forward-Bending Crunches and Sit-Ups

Why: They round the spine under load, which dramatically increases the risk of compression fractures in the vertebrae. This is the single most important exercise to skip if you have osteoporosis of the spine.

What to do instead: Core work that keeps the spine neutral — planks (on the knees if needed), bird-dog, and seated core work. We have a dedicated guide to gentle core exercises for seniors.

2. Deep Twisting Movements

Why: Loaded spinal rotation (some golf swings, certain yoga twists, pivoting aerobics) can strain fragile vertebrae. Gentle mobility twists without load are fine; forceful twists are not.

What to do instead: Seated gentle twists, rotational mobility with your arms only (not your whole spine under load).

3. High-Impact Jumping and Jarring Movements

Why: Jumping jacks, running on hard surfaces, and plyometrics can exceed the safe loading threshold if bones are significantly weakened. There's a spectrum here, the heel drops I recommended above are mild, controlled impact. A jumping jack is not.

What to do instead: Stick with heel drops and brisk walking for your bone-loading impact. If your bone density improves to a safer range, you can discuss adding more impact with your doctor or a specialised physio.

A Weekly Template

A Composite Client Story

Based on a few women I've worked with: "Patricia" came to me at 66, two years after her diagnosis. She'd stopped exercising for fear of breaking something. Her posture had rounded, her balance had deteriorated, and she'd already had one wrist fracture. We started with two short sessions a week: chair yoga, gentle strength, lots of reassurance. Within six months she was doing the seven exercises above and walking her dog 45 minutes a day. Her next DEXA scan showed stability (not loss), which at her age, with her diagnosis, is a real win.

What About Nutrition?

Exercise is one leg of the stool. Adequate calcium (1,200 mg per day post-menopause), vitamin D, and — importantly: protein are the others. I wrote a detailed guide on how much protein women over 60 need that's worth a read; undereating protein is one of the hidden obstacles to bone and muscle health after 60.

My Opinionated Take

Too many women diagnosed with osteoporosis are told "be careful" and sent home with a calcium supplement. Care is right. Stopping is wrong. The bones you have respond to the load you give them: gently, consistently, within sensible boundaries.

If you'd like a structured programme that respects your diagnosis, our exercise guide has an osteoporosis-safe track, and you can start a free account to save your routines. Start with one session this week. That's how every long story of recovered strength begins.