What the Research Says About Exercise and Bone Health
Imagine you're 20 years into the future and are sitting around a pond in the middle of the day. It is a beautiful pond with clear blue skies above it and not a breath of wind. The sun shines and the birds sing songs as you see people walk by getting to the places they need to be.
After a while of admiring the scenery you very slowly lean forward, use your arms to push yourself up off the seat as your hips and knees ache. You very slowly move towards your walker and you no longer have the strength to support your own bodyweight by yourself. You think to yourself, if only I listened to that person who said I should give strength training a go...
Train Now, Thank Yourself Later:
A major systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Physiology (Miao et al., 2026) analyzed 22 randomized controlled trials and 1,051 participants to map exactly how different types of exercise affect bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in adults. The findings are directly relevant to how you should be training especially if you are in your 20s and 30s.
Bone mass peaks around age 30. After that, it’s a slow downward slope, with a sharper drop post-menopause. The research confirms that this pre-30 window is when exercise has its greatest impact on bone. The meta-analysis found that exercise significantly increased lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD in women.
Resistance training drives mechanical load on bone, triggering fluid flow through bone canaliculi and activating osteoblasts. Aerobic exercise improves nutrient delivery and stimulates myokine release (including irisin and IGF-1), which indirectly promotes bone formation. Together, they cover more bases.
A few practical takeaways:
If you’re under 30, prioritize building bone mass now. Load-bearing and high-impact work pays compound interest.
You don’t need to go heavy every session. Studies used loads from 60–90% 1RM with meaningful results. Consistent loading at moderate intensity counts.
Train smart. Train consistently. Build something that lasts.