Exercise physiology insights from Elossa Fitness
If you’re over 60, you’ve probably heard the advice to “keep active” for your bones. But the science of bone health is more specific than that — and more encouraging than most people realise. From an exercise physiology perspective, an effective bone health program is built on two distinct tools working together: strength training and impact loading. They stimulate bone through different mechanisms, and both are backed by strong evidence in older adults. This article walks through why each matters, how safety is assessed, and why “impact” doesn’t mean what most people assume it does — the very principles behind Elossa Fitness’s Bone Boost program.
Why Bone Needs a Reason to Stay Strong
Bone is living tissue. It constantly remodels itself, breaking down old bone and building new bone in response to the forces placed on it. This is Wolff’s Law in action: bone adapts to the loads it experiences. No load, no signal, no reason for the body to invest in bone density — which is exactly what happens with prolonged sitting, bed rest, or a sedentary lifestyle. We reach peak bone mass between 25-30years old and then our major goal is to maintain as much of our bone mass as we can through the aging process. If you’re a woman, there is the added complexity of menopause and accelerated bone density loss post menopause.
The encouraging part: bone remains responsive to loading well into your 70s, 80s, and beyond. It’s never “too late” to give bone a reason to hold onto density, provided the loading is appropriate for the individual.
Strength Training: Building Bone Through Muscle Pull
When muscles contract against resistance, they pull on the bones they attach to via tendons. This tension is a direct mechanical signal to bone-building cells (osteoblasts). Research consistently shows that progressive resistance training — using bands, machines, free weights, or bodyweight — helps maintain or improve bone mineral density at the hip and spine, two of the most fracture-prone sites as we age.
But strength training does something equally important that often gets overlooked in the “bone density” conversation: it builds the muscle strength and power needed to actually prevent a fall in the first place. Strong quadriceps, glutes, and hip stabilizers are what catch you when you stumble. Bone density matters less if you never fall.
From an assessment standpoint, this means looking at:
- Current strength levels and any asymmetries
- Joint range of motion and pain-free movement
- Balance and control under load
- Existing bone density results (DEXA scan) if available
- Cardiovascular and orthopaedic history
This lets us set an appropriate starting resistance and progression rate — because the stimulus needs to be challenging enough to matter, but controlled enough to be safe.
Impact Training: The Missing Piece Most People Skip
This is where things get interesting, impact training is like the “icing on the cake” for bone density training. Strength training is fantastic and has the ability to apply load in different areas but impact loading can produce an additional stimulus of bone formation in the lower body. Impact loading involves brief, rapid forces transmitted through the skeleton.
This is where a common misconception needs correcting straight away: impact training does not mean simply ‘jumping,’ and it is not reserved for people who are already fit or “athletic.”
Impact exists on a spectrum
When most people hear “impact exercise,” they picture jump squats, box jumps, or skipping rope. That’s one end of a spectrum — and it’s not where most people over 60 should start, or need to go.
The other end of that spectrum includes:
- Heel drops (heel raises followed by a controlled drop to the heels) — rising onto the toes, then releasing body weight down through the heels to create a brief, mild impact through the legs and hips
- Stamping or marching in place
- Sit-to-stand with a firmer press down of the legs to initiate
- Low step-ups with a deliberate weight-bearing landing
These all deliver a genuine mechanical loading signal to bone — measurable in research using accelerometers as ground reaction force — without requiring you to leave the ground. Studies on postmenopausal women and older adults using heel drops and similar low-level impact protocols have shown meaningful improvements in hip bone density over time. This matters enormously, because it means impact training is accessible to a much larger proportion of the population, not just those with the joint capacity or confidence to jump.
How Safety Is Assessed Before Adding Impact
This is the part that requires the most care, because impact loading is not automatically appropriate for everyone, and getting this wrong is where injuries happen. Before recommending any impact work — even something as modest as heel drops — a proper assessment covers:
- Bone density status. If someone has osteoporosis (not just osteopenia) or a history of fragility fracture, the type, intensity, and progression of impact needs to be individualised, often starting extremely conservatively, if at all.
- Balance and fall risk. Impact exercises need to be performed with excellent control. If balance is compromised, that’s addressed first before adding impact.
- Joint health. Hip or knee osteoarthritis, recent joint replacement, or significant joint pain change what’s appropriate and how loading is introduced.
- Cardiovascular status and general medical clearance
- Current strength base. A person needs to build a foundation of strength first, so that the muscles and tendons are prepared to handle and absorb the added force of impact loading, and so the movement can be performed with good control.
This is also why “impact training” should be introduced gradually and specifically, not simply added onto an existing program without assessment. There will be people that we complete an assessment and deem impact training not appropriate. Remember that this type of training is the ‘icing on the cake’ and well programmed strength training is building wonderfully to the goal of supporting bone health.
Our Exercise Physiologist can help determine where you sit on that impact spectrum and how to progress safely through our unique Bone Boost impact training program.
Putting It Together
For most people over 60 without contraindications, a well-rounded bone health program includes:
- Progressive resistance training — 2–3 sessions per week, targeting major muscle groups, particularly hips, thighs, and back
- Balance training — to reduce fall risk, which protects bone by preventing the events that fracture it
- Impact loading — after assessment a few controlled repetitions of something like heel drops, most days of the week, progressed gradually as strength, confidence, and bone status allow. Ensuring good recovery and expert guidance with an Exercise Physiologist.
- Individual assessment and periodic review
The message worth taking away is this: bone remains adaptable throughout life, strength training and impact loading work through different but complementary pathways, and impact training is far more accessible than the word “impact” suggests. You don’t need to jump to give your bones a meaningful signal to stay strong — you may just need to learn to drop your heels with intent, and do it well.
This is exactly the approach behind Elossa Fitness’s Bone Boost program, which combines individually assessed strength training with progressive, appropriately dosed impact loading — starting wherever a person’s bone health, balance, and confidence allow, and building from there.
This week is Healthy Bones Action week and we have FREE community talks on Bone Health & Exercise at both Corrimal and Shellharbour Studios later this month. These talks are open to members and the general public. Find out more about these events at https://elossafitness.com/community-talks/
This article is general information and not a substitute for individualised assessment. You should always consult your doctor or a qualified exercise professional before beginning impact or resistance training.
