As we age, our bone density gradually declines. For women especially, this can be more dramatic, with women losing up to 20% of their bone density in the years following menopause. Left unmanaged, this can lead to conditions like osteoporosis, leaving bones brittle and prone to breaking should you fall.
Luckily, there is a simple solution to slow down and even reverse this loss. Bones are living tissues that adapt to physical stress, so when you strength train, whether that be with a set of the best adjustable dumbbells or just your bodyweight, your muscles contract and pull on your tendons. This tugging force causes the cells inside bones (osteocytes) to trigger bone-building cells (osteoblasts).
Yet if you’re new to exercise or returning following an extended break, it can be tricky to know where to start. Below, we turn to a personal trainer who specializes in training seniors, Janet Osbourne, who shares a quick five-minute workout to add to your routine.
What is the workout?
All you’ll need for this workout is a chair and a set of weights. You can check out the best adjustable dumbbells for working out at home, but as a reminder, the right weight for you will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If you don’t have weights, just use your bodyweight for this workout, and you’ll still get a great workout.
Ensure the chair is sturdy and doesn't have wheels. While this workout is suitable for most people, if you’re currently working out with an injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a qualified professional.
Here are the different exercises:
- 50 dumbbell chair taps: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand in front of your chair. Plant both feet on the floor and engage your core, thinking about squeezing your belly button into your spine. Keeping your back straight, lift one leg to tap your foot on the chair, then return it to your starting position. Repeat on the other leg, and keep alternating sides until you’ve completed 50 reps.
- 40 sit-to-stand squats: You can do this with or without dumbbells. Standing in front of your chair, bend your knees and push your butt back to lower down into the seat. Don’t fully sit down; once your glutes tap the chair, push through your feet to return to your starting position. Here’s how many reps you need to complete for your leg strength to be considered "elite."
- 30 heel raises: Stand behind the chair while holding onto the backrest for support. Raise onto your tiptoes, completing the calf raise, then drop your heels down to the floor with a firm landing — as Osbourne points out, this gentle impact will help stimulate your bones.
- 20 bent-over rows: Sit down in your chair and hinge your torso forward slightly, keeping your core engaged. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms to the floor. Bending at your elbows, row the dumbbells up toward your torso, pause for a few seconds at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to your starting position. This exercise works your arms and the muscles that support your spine in the lower back.
- 10 overhead presses: Sit in your chair with your back straight and engage your core. Starting with your dumbbells at your shoulders and your elbows bent, raise the dumbbells toward the ceiling, straightening your arms. Pause at the top, then bring the dumbbells back to your starting position.
- 20 seconds of foot taps: You won’t need your dumbbells for this exercise. Sit on the edge of your chair, holding onto the seat for support. Quickly lift and lower your feet, tapping them on the ground. “It’s a simple way to add a little bone-friendly impact,” Osbourne says.
What are the benefits?
All of these exercises put physical stress on the tendons in the upper and lower body. The exercises might seem simple at first, but by using the chair for support, you’ll be completing a full strength training workout. The squats and heel raises will build strength in the hip sockets and femurs, whereas the seated rows and overhead presses help strengthen the spine.
As well as strengthening your bones, workouts like this one will also help strengthen the surrounding muscle groups, tendons, and connective tissues, all of which stabilize the joints. This can help improve your overall stability, helping reduce falls that can cause fractures.
Finally, while this workout is low impact, the firm landing with heel taps and foot taps, as well as the resistance of the dumbbells, help stimulate bone growth without overstressing aging joints.
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