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A physical therapist says these are the three bodyweight moves you should do daily to improve your bone health
You often hear about the importance of building muscle for longevity, but another important part of aging well is looking after your bone health.
Most people reach peak bone mass between the ages of 20 and 30, but this can differ depending on your sex and genetics.
In general, your body naturally begins to lose bone mass from your mid-to-late 30s, but you can slow down the process with the right nutrition and exercise.
Diane Carroll is an orthopedic physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery at Naples Comprehensive Health in Florida, and she says there are three exercises she’d recommend for people who want to improve bone health.
“Weight training is very good for building bone,” Carroll tells Fit&Well.
This doesn’t mean you have to lift weights—any form of resistance strength training will help you improve your bone health.
“It doesn’t need to be anything heavy,” she adds. “It could be a resistance band, it could be a weight or it could be your bodyweight.”
Here are the three moves she recommends for beginners.
Diane Carroll’s three move routine for better bone health
If you want to build bone in a specific area, you should aim to strengthen the muscles in that area.
But if you’re focused on building better overall health, full-body exercises work well—”the simpler the better,” says Carroll.
1. Sit to stand
“The muscles in your legs are very functional,” Carroll says. “This movement replicates what they need to do all day—standing up from a chair, pushing you up onto a curb and holding you up against gravity.”
- Sit on a standard height chair with both feet on the floor.
- Push through your feet and extend your legs to stand up without using your arms.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to sit back down without using your arms. Try not to hunch or arch your back and keep your core engaged throughout.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
2. Calf raise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your hand on a wall or other support if needed.
- Rise onto your toes, lifting your heels off the floor.
- Pause, then slowly lower your heels to the floor.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
3. Standing leg raise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
- Keeping your leg straight, torso still and spine in a neutral position throughout, raise your right leg in front of you, then lower it with control.
- Raise your right leg out to the side, then lower it with control.
- Raise your right leg behind you, then lower it with control.
- Continue for 30 seconds, then repeat on your left leg.
