Key Takeaways
- Osteoporosis weakens bones silently — exercise is one of the few things that slows bone loss and reduces fracture risk
- The best programme combines weight-bearing, resistance, posture and balance exercises
- Avoid forward bending (toe touches, sit-ups, crunches) — rounding the spine raises the risk of a compression fracture
- Back-extension exercises are protective — they strengthen the muscles that keep you upright
- Because falls cause most fractures, balance training is as important as bone loading
Table of Contents
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose density and become porous, fragile, and far more likely to break. It's often called a "silent disease" because there are usually no symptoms until a bone fractures — most commonly in the hip, spine, or wrist. After age 50, around one in three women and one in five men will experience an osteoporotic fracture.
Bone is living tissue that constantly renews itself. In our younger years, the body builds bone faster than it loses it. After roughly age 35 the balance gradually tips the other way, and for women the drop in oestrogen after menopause speeds bone loss considerably. The result is a skeleton that needs more support — and that support comes largely from the muscles around it and the loads you place on it through exercise.
If you're not sure where to start, our find your exercises quiz can suggest a routine matched to your needs and ability.
How Exercise Protects Your Bones
Exercise helps people with osteoporosis in three distinct ways, and a good routine includes all three:
- It loads the bone. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises send a signal to bone-building cells to maintain or even add density. Bone responds to being challenged.
- It protects your posture. Strengthening the muscles of the upper back counteracts the forward-rounded posture (kyphosis) that puts dangerous pressure on the front of the spinal vertebrae.
- It prevents falls. This is crucial — the great majority of fractures happen during a fall. Better balance and leg strength mean fewer falls, and fewer falls mean fewer broken bones.
This is why a balance-and-strength approach matters so much. For more on staying steady on your feet, see our fall prevention exercises for the elderly and balance exercises for seniors.
10 Osteoporosis Exercises for Seniors
Move with control and keep your spine tall and neutral throughout. Stop if you feel any sharp back pain. Aim to work through these most days, building up gradually.
1. Standing Marches
Stand tall behind a sturdy chair, holding the back for support. March on the spot, lifting each knee to a comfortable height while keeping your chest up and spine tall. Continue for 30-60 seconds. Marching is gentle weight-bearing exercise: each step loads the hips and legs, which is exactly the kind of stimulus that helps maintain bone density.
2. Heel Raises
Stand tall holding a chair for balance. Slowly rise up onto the balls of both feet, lifting your heels as high as is comfortable, then lower under control. Repeat 12-15 times. Heel raises load the ankles, lower legs, and hips while strengthening the calf muscles that help keep you steady.
3. Gentle Heel Drops
Stand tall holding a chair. Rise onto the balls of your feet, then let your heels drop down to gently tap the floor, sending a light impact up through the leg and hip bones. Repeat 10 times. The small jolt is a recognised way to stimulate bone — but keep it gentle and controlled rather than jarring, especially when starting out.
4. Seated Back Extension
Sit tall in a chair with your hands resting on your thighs. Gently arch your upper back, drawing your shoulder blades down and together as you lift your chest toward the ceiling. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times. This is one of the most important exercises for osteoporosis: strengthening the back extensor muscles protects against the forward-rounded posture that increases the risk of spinal fractures.
5. Standing Hip Abduction
Stand tall holding a chair. Keeping your leg straight and your toes pointing forward, lift one leg out to the side as far as is comfortable, then lower it slowly. Repeat 12 times per side. This loads the hip — a common fracture site — and strengthens the gluteus medius muscle that keeps your pelvis level and steady when you walk.
6. Wall Push-Ups
Stand about arm's length from a wall with your hands flat against it at shoulder height and width. Keeping your body in a straight line, bend your elbows to lean your chest toward the wall, then push back to the start. Repeat 10-12 times. This provides gentle weight-bearing load through the wrists, arms, and shoulders — all common fracture sites.
7. Bicep Curls with Light Weights
Sit or stand tall holding a light dumbbell or filled water bottle in each hand, arms by your sides. Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders, then lower slowly. Repeat 10-12 times. Resistance training strengthens muscle and prompts the bones of the arm to maintain their density. For more, see our strengthening exercises for seniors.
8. Sit-to-Stand
Sit tall toward the front of a sturdy chair with your feet flat. Keeping your back straight — not rounded forward — stand up by pushing through your legs, then lower yourself slowly back down. Repeat 10 times, using your hands on the chair for assistance if needed. This safely loads the hips and thigh bones and builds the leg strength you rely on every day.
9. Shoulder Blade Squeezes
Sit or stand tall with your arms relaxed at your sides. Draw your shoulder blades together and down, as if trying to hold a pencil between them, and hold for 5 seconds. Release and repeat 12 times. Like the back extension, this strengthens the upper-back muscles that keep your spine upright and resist the forward curve of the shoulders.
10. Single-Leg Balance
Stand tall holding a chair. Shift your weight onto one foot and lift the other slightly off the floor, holding for 10-20 seconds before switching sides. As you improve, try holding with just a fingertip on the chair. Because falls cause the great majority of osteoporotic fractures, training your balance is just as protective as loading your bones.
Free 7-Day Chair Exercise Starter Plan
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Exercises to Avoid with Osteoporosis
Important: avoid bending and twisting the spine
With fragile vertebrae, the single most important rule is to keep your spine tall and neutral. Movements that round the spine forward or twist it under load can crush a weakened vertebra — sometimes during everyday activity.
Specifically, avoid or carefully modify the following:
- Forward bends and toe touches: Bending forward to reach your feet flexes the spine and concentrates pressure on the front of the vertebrae — a leading cause of compression fractures.
- Sit-ups and crunches: These repeatedly round the spine under load and should be replaced with safer core work such as gentle abdominal bracing.
- Deep forward folds: Some yoga and stretching positions roll the spine far forward — choose upright or extension-based alternatives instead.
- Twisting under load: Forceful rotation of the spine, especially while lifting, can stress fragile vertebrae. Turn your whole body instead of twisting at the waist.
- High-impact, jarring movements: Jumping and sudden, uncontrolled movements risk fractures in advanced osteoporosis. Favour smooth, controlled exercise.
Notice that this is the opposite advice to some other back conditions — for example, people with stenosis-related sciatica are often encouraged to bend forward. With osteoporosis, the priority is protecting the spine from flexion. If you have both conditions, ask your doctor or physiotherapist which takes precedence.
Get a Complete Joint-Friendly Exercise Programme
Our Chair Exercises book includes 68 illustrated exercises with gentle progressions, posture work, video demos, and a 30-day plan — all designed to be safe and effective for older adults.
View on AmazonBuilding a Safe Weekly Routine
For the best protection, aim to cover all four elements across your week: weight-bearing movement on most days, resistance exercise two or three times a week, posture and back-extension work daily, and balance practice several times a week. You don't need to do everything in one session — short, frequent sessions are easier to sustain and just as effective.
Good nutrition supports your efforts: adequate calcium, vitamin D, and protein give your body the raw materials to maintain bone and muscle. And because medication, eyesight, and home hazards all affect fracture risk, pair your exercise with a wider fall-prevention plan. Our guide on how to improve balance after 60 covers this in more depth.
When to See a Doctor
Always check with your doctor before starting a new programme if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or have had a fracture. Seek medical advice promptly if you experience:
- Sudden, severe back pain (which can signal a spinal compression fracture)
- A noticeable loss of height or a developing stoop
- Pain that begins during or immediately after a specific movement
- Any fall that results in pain, bruising, or difficulty moving
A physiotherapist can tailor these exercises to your bone density and fracture history, and your doctor can advise whether medication is appropriate alongside exercise. You can also try our fall risk assessment to gauge your current risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exercises should be avoided with osteoporosis?
Avoid forward-bending movements that round the spine — toe touches, sit-ups, crunches, and deep forward folds — because they increase the risk of a spinal compression fracture. Also avoid twisting the spine under load, and high-impact, jarring movements like jumping.
What is the best exercise for osteoporosis in seniors?
A combination is best: weight-bearing exercise (such as standing marches and heel raises) to stimulate bone, resistance exercise to strengthen muscle and bone, back-extension exercises to protect posture, and balance exercises to prevent the falls that cause fractures.
Can you rebuild bone with exercise?
Exercise cannot fully reverse osteoporosis, but weight-bearing and resistance exercise can slow bone loss, modestly improve bone density, and — just as importantly — build the muscle strength and balance that prevent fractures. Consistency over months and years matters most.
Is walking enough for osteoporosis?
Walking is helpful weight-bearing exercise but isn't enough on its own. Bone responds to new and varied loads, so walking should be combined with resistance exercises and balance training for the best protection against fractures.
Are squats safe with osteoporosis?
Yes — controlled sit-to-stand movements and shallow squats with a neutral, upright spine are safe and beneficial because they load the hips and legs. Keep your back straight rather than rounding forward, and hold a chair for support if needed.
68 Chair Exercises — Safe, Gentle, Effective
Our book includes seated and supported exercises for strength, posture, and balance, with detailed instructions, illustrations, and companion videos so you can check your form at home.
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