What It Takes to Reverse Osteoporosis

Repeated studies have revealed that the right workout and diet can halt — even reverse — bone loss.

But how much workout is enough?

A new study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise answers this.

And the answer is shocking.

Scientists in Finland followed 189 women, all between 47 and 55 years old, as they transitioned from perimenopause to post-menopause.

None of them were using hormone therapy.

To track their bone health, the team used advanced imaging tools (like DXA and CT scans) to look at the density and strength of bones in the hip (femoral neck and shaft) and lower leg (tibial shaft).

These scans were done at both the beginning and end of the study.

Meanwhile, the women wore special activity trackers for several days at a time tracking daily life (walking, standing, climbing stairs).

These devices didn’t just count steps; they recorded how often the women experienced low, medium, or high-intensity impacts to their bones—like those that come from jumping, running, or even brisk walking.

The researchers then analyzed whether the amount and intensity of these impacts were linked to changes in the women’s bone health over time.

This is what they discovered:

1. All women experienced bone loss during the menopause transition, including decreased bone mineral density and bone mineral content at the hip—and weakened bone strength and structure in both the hip and lower leg.

2. Everyday physical activity was mostly low-impact, with high-impact movements being very rare—and with medium-impact activities (like brisk walking or stair climbing) decreasing over the study period.

3. Medium impacts were linked to stronger bones in the lower leg.

4. High impacts were linked to stronger bones in the thigh (femoral shaft).

5. While being more active was associated with stronger bones at a single point in time, none of these activities (low, medium, or high-impact) slowed the overall bone loss during menopause.

This means that everyday physical activity is not enough to stop menopause-related bone loss.

The usual daily activity levels most women engage in simply don’t provide enough of the high-impact loading that bones need to stay strong.

If you are at this stage of your life, you will have to add targeted, bone-strengthening exercises to your routine—such as jumping or strength training with weights.

Even heavy workouts are not enough to protect your bones… let alone reverse osteoporosis.

But thousands of men and women have reversed their bone loss and built stronger bones using the simple lifestyle changes explained here…