Fast Walking Tops Exercise Review for Bone Density

Walking at a quick pace and jogging showed the clearest bone-density benefits in a review of exercise research involving adults 40 and older. Investigators pooled findings from 124 trials and compared six forms of activity, including aerobic workouts, weight training, programs combining both, mind-body movement and vibration platforms. Planned exercise overall was associated with less bone loss related to aging.

The researchers identified about 600 MET minutes per week as the amount associated with a clinically meaningful difference. MET measures the energy used during an activity. That weekly total is comparable to roughly two to three hours spent jogging or moving at a fast walking pace. The authors suggested that these activities may help because each step places repeated, moderate stress on the skeleton.

Programs pairing aerobic activity with resistance work also produced benefits, though improvements appeared across fewer parts of the skeleton. The underlying trials differed substantially in design and were not all equally strong, which limits how firmly the exercise types can be ranked. Even so, the findings add evidence that ordinary movement may support bones as people age. That carries broad relevance because osteoporosis and fractures associated with fragile bones affect more than 200 million people worldwide.