Bone health

Strength training for bone health after menopause

By Jill McCracken, ISSA-certified personal trainer · · Updated · 2 min read

Menopause speeds up bone loss, and bone is one of the few things in your body that grows back in response to the right kind of work. That work is load.

Jill doing a hip thrust on a bench with a padded bar across her hips
Loading the hips: Jill doing a hip thrust at home.

How much bone density do women lose after menopause?

A woman can lose up to 20% of her bone density in the five to seven years after menopause. That’s the window when bone is most on the clock, which makes it the most valuable time to start training.

Not there yet? Strength training for perimenopause is how to get ahead of it.

What kind of exercise builds bone density?

The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation points to two kinds:

Walking is good for you in plenty of ways, but for bone, the loaded strength work does the heavy lifting, literally.

What did research find about heavy lifting and bone density?

For years, women with low bone density were steered toward gentle exercise. The LIFTMOR trial tested the opposite. 101 postmenopausal women with low bone mass, average age 65, were split into two groups. One did supervised, high-intensity resistance and impact training twice a week for eight months: 30-minute sessions of five sets of five reps at more than 85% of their one-rep max. The other did low-intensity exercise at home.

After 8 monthsHeavy trainingLow-intensity
Lumbar spine bone density+2.9%−1.2%
Femoral neck (hip) bone density+0.3%−1.9%

The heavy-training group also improved more on every measure of physical function, and there was only one minor adverse event: a lower-back spasm that cost two sessions.

One important detail: those women were supervised and built up to heavy weights gradually. The lesson isn’t “lift your max tomorrow.” It’s that heavy, well-coached training isn’t off-limits after menopause.

How should you strength train for bone health?

Build your week around the big movements: squat, hinge, press, pull and carry. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends training each muscle group two to three times a week, working up to 70–85% of your one-rep max on multi-joint exercises. In plain terms, that’s a weight you can lift with good form for roughly six to twelve reps, where the last couple are genuinely hard.

Start hereLearn the five moves with light weight, then add load every week or two. The five moves guide shows each one.

Starting from zero in your sixties? The over-60 guide walks through the first weeks.

Can you strength train with osteoporosis?

Strength training is still on the table, but the details change. The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation notes that people with fractures or a high fracture risk may need to avoid high-impact exercise, and that some forward-bending positions can raise the risk of a spine fracture. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you, and work with a coach who will adapt the plan.

This guide is about training, not treatment. Bone density testing and any medication decisions belong with your doctor.

You don’t have to do this alone.

Knowing what to do is the easy part; sticking with it is where most women stall. Jill coaches women over 40 online with a plan built around you, weekly check-ins and video form checks, so you have a real person in your corner. It starts with a free 30-minute consult call.

It’s not just an app. It’s an app with accountability.

  • Your workouts and meals in your own private app
  • Every set you log goes to Jill
  • A real person checking in with you every week
Request your free consult →See inside the app →

Sources

  1. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation: What women need to know. A woman can lose up to 20% of her bone density in the five to seven years after menopause.
  2. Cleveland Clinic: What to know about menopause and bone loss. Up to 20% of bone density can be lost within five years of starting menopause; weight-bearing exercise helps strengthen bones.
  3. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation: Weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises. Weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise help build and keep strong bones; people with fractures or high fracture risk may need to avoid high-impact moves and some forward-bending positions.
  4. Watson et al., Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2018): the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial PubMed. 101 postmenopausal women (average age 65) with low bone mass did supervised high-intensity resistance and impact training (5 sets of 5 at over 85% of one-rep max) twice a week for 8 months. Lumbar spine bone density rose 2.9% vs. a 1.2% drop in controls; femoral neck +0.3% vs. −1.9%; function improved on every measure; one minor adverse event.
  5. Fragala et al., National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2019): Resistance training for older adults, position statement PubMed. “A properly designed resistance training program with appropriate instructions for exercise technique and proper spotting is safe for healthy, older adults.” Recommends 2–3 times a week and 2–3 sets at 70–85% of one-rep max for multi-joint exercises.

Keep reading

Strength basics

Is it safe to lift heavy weights after 50?

What counts as heavy, what the research says about safety, and how to build up to it.

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The only five strength moves you need to start lifting after 40

Squat, hinge, push, pull, carry: the beginner version of each, with form cues.

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This guide is general fitness and nutrition education, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program, especially if you have a health condition, an injury, or take medication.