Exercise for Your Bone Health

Working Out (Photo credit: Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums)

Vital at every age for healthy bones, exercise is important for treating and preventing osteoporosis. Not only does exercise improve your bone health, it also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance, and it leads to better overall health.

Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents

Aerobic, Muscle- and Bone-Strengthening: What Counts?

To get you started, here is a list of possible activities that children and adolescents can do to meet the Guidelines. These activities serve as a guide, so encourage your child to do any of them, as long as they are age-appropriate.

Many of these activities fall under two or three different categories, making it possible for your child do each type of activity – vigorous-intensity aerobic, muscle- and bone-strengthening activity – on at least 3 days each week. Also, some activities, such as bicycling or basketball, can be done at either a moderate- or a vigorous-intensity, depending on your child's level of effort.

	Age Group
Type of Physical Activity	Children	Adolescents
Moderate–intensity aerobic	Active recreation such as hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading Bicycle riding Walking to school	Active recreation, such as canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, skateboarding, rollerblading Brisk walking Bicycle riding (stationary or road bike) House and yard work such as sweeping or pushing a lawn mower Playing games that require catching and throwing, such as baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball
Vigorous –intensity aerobic	Active games involving running and chasing, such as tag Bicycle riding Jumping rope Martial arts, such as karate Running Sports such as ice or field hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis or gymnastics	Active games involving running and chasing, such as flag football, soccer Bicycle riding Jumping rope Martial arts such as karate Running Sports such as tennis, ice or field hockey, basketball, swimming Vigorous dancing Aerobics Cheerleading or gymnastics
Muscle-strengthening	Games such as tug of war Modified push-ups (with knees on the floor) Resistance exercises using body weight or resistance bands Rope or tree climbing Sit-ups Swinging on playground equipment/bars Gymnastics	Games such as tug of war Push-ups Resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights Rock climbing Sit-ups Cheerleading or Gymnastics
Bone-strengthening	Games such as hop-scotch Hopping, skipping, jumping Jumping rope Running Sports such as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis	Hopping, skipping, jumping Jumping rope Running Sports such as gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, tennis