According to Experts.news, brisk walking and jogging may be among the most effective forms of physical activity for maintaining bone mineral density in people over 40, according to the results of a large meta-analysis published on September 9, 2026, in the scientific journal BMJ.
According to ScienceAlert, researchers analyzed 124 randomized clinical trials involving 18,429 participants aged 40 and older. The scientists compared various types of physical activity, including walking, running, strength training, aerobic exercise, yoga, and combined programs.
The primary outcome measure was bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, the femoral neck, and the hip joint. A decline in this measure with age is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Brisk walking and jogging showed the best results for bone density. For the lumbar spine, they resulted in an average improvement of approximately 0.013 g/cm² compared to the control group. A combination of aerobic and strength training demonstrated a similar result.
For the femoral neck, brisk walking or jogging was associated with an improvement of approximately 0.009 g/cm². A positive effect was also observed for so-called mind-body practices, which include, in particular, yoga and similar types of exercise.
The researchers also attempted to determine the optimal amount of physical activity. The analysis showed that a noticeable effect on bone tissue begins to appear at approximately 600 MET-minutes per week. This roughly corresponds to about two to three hours of brisk walking or jogging per week, although the exact duration depends on the intensity of the exercise.
The authors note that structured physical exercise can moderately but clinically significantly slow the age-related decline in bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, the femoral neck, and the hip joint.
At the same time, the effect of exercise varied depending on the participants’ age and other characteristics. In middle-aged individuals with normal body weight, changes in bone density were more pronounced, whereas in older participants and those who were overweight, the results were weaker. The authors emphasize that these subgroup findings have limited validity and should not be used as ready-made individual recommendations without further research.
Separately, the researchers analyzed the risk of fractures. This analysis included 26 studies involving 11,132 participants. Some combined aerobic programs and mind-body exercises showed a potential reduction in fracture risk, but the evidence base here was less conclusive.
Experts also caution that an increase in bone mineral density does not always directly translate to a corresponding reduction in fracture risk. For example, brisk walking showed some of the best results for bone density, but no statistically significant reduction in the number of fractures was observed in this group.
The study authors rate the overall certainty of some of the results as low or moderate and emphasize that further research is needed to formulate precise recommendations regarding the type and “dose” of physical activity.
Original study: BMJ – Effect of exercise on bone health in middle-aged and older adults.
