Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: 7 Activities for Hormonal Balance and Bone Strength

Although bone loss is common among women during and after menopause, certain exercises can help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Here are a few to include in your movement routine.

Changing hormones during menopause can affect many aspects of health, including bone health. Bone loss during menopause is common, and estimates suggest that roughly half of postmenopausal women have osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can lead to other significant health problems, including bone fractures, pain, and reduced mobility.

Bone health after menopause can be protected, though, with proper nutrition and exercise. In addition to getting enough calcium and vitamin D, a variety of exercises can strengthen bones and help prevent complications from osteoporosis.

Explore the infographic below to learn about seven exercises that can help protect your bone health after menopause.

Resistance training

Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves using bands or weights that create resistance to strengthen the muscles.

These types of exercises can also help increase bone strength and have even been found to help balance levels of sex hormones like estrogen.

Examples of resistance training include:

• lifting weights
• using resistance bands
• using weight machines
• doing pushups

Exercises targeting the muscles of the back, hips, thighs, and arms may be most helpful for postmenopausal people, as bones in these areas are most likely to fracture due to osteoporosis.

Brisk walking or jogging

Brisk walking or jogging puts weight on the bones and can help strengthen them over time. These effects may be enhanced by wearing a weighted vest while walking or adding in other forms of exercise, such as stair climbing or lunges.

Aerobic exercises may also help regulate sex hormone levels in postmenopausal people, which can support better bone health and overall well-being.

Water aerobics

Research suggests that water-based exercises can be beneficial to postmenopausal women as they are easier on the joints than land-based weight-bearing exercises.

These exercises can reduce the risk of traumatic injury in people with osteoporosis while maintaining or promoting bone strength.

Mind-body exercises

Mind-body exercises such as tai chi and yoga can help improve balance, muscle strength, and flexibility. They have been found to have positive effects in people with osteoporosis and may help improve bone density.

By helping improve balance, they may also reduce the likelihood of falling, which can have serious consequences in people with osteoporosis.

Tai chi may be a safer mind-body exercise than yoga for people with osteoporosis, as some positions in yoga — particularly those that involve twisting of the spine — can be risky for people with poor bone health.

Tennis or pickleball

Racket sports like tennis or pickleball are weight-bearing exercises that help strengthen both the muscles and bones and are often recommended for people looking to keep their bones healthy.

Using a two-handed backstroke while playing tennis may have added benefits for postmenopausal people, according to one study , which found that this technique helped improve bone mineral density in the arms, back, and hips.

When playing racket sports, it’s important to be cautious when twisting the body, as overstretching in a sudden move may cause injury.

Dance

Dancing offers many benefits for postmenopausal people as both an aerobic and weight-bearing exercise.

According to one study , postmenopausal women who participated in a group dance class saw meaningful improvements in bone density in both the spine and hip.

High intensity interval training

This is a type of exercise approach that alternates between short bursts of high intensity cardio and brief recovery periods. In postmenopausal people, high intensity exercises can help maintain or improve bone density and may offer added benefits for hormonal regulation .

People who are new to high intensity physical activity may choose to start this type of exercise regimen under the direction of a trained professional.

Takeaway

If you’re postmenopause, you have a higher risk of osteoporosis. But with well-balanced nutrition and certain types of bone-strengthening exercises, you can slow down or reduce bone loss.

If you already have osteoporosis, these exercises can also help prevent complications from the condition.