“Wait… You Want Me to Jump?”
When I suggest adding impact training to the fitness routines of my over-50 clients, I often get wide eyes and raised eyebrows. They picture explosive box jumps or high-impact plyometrics — and understandably, that sounds intimidating, especially for someone who’s never tried it, hasn’t done it in decades, or is navigating osteoporosis or osteopenia.
But here’s the thing: impact training doesn’t have to mean leaping tall boxes in a single bound. In fact, it can be surprisingly simple — and a lot closer to the ground — yet still build stronger bones.
What Is Impact Training, Really?
Impact refers to any two forces meeting one another. In impact training, those two forces are your body and the ground.
We often think of bones like those lifeless plastic skeletons from anatomy class — static and inert. But bones are incredibly alive, richly supplied with blood vessels, and highly responsive to the stresses we place on them.
For your bones to pay attention, the impact needs to exceed what they experience during normal daily activity. Things like walking, stairs, yoga, and Pilates are “ho-hum” for your bones. Even running and jogging can be boring [yawn] if you do them regularly!
Impact training sends stronger signals that tell your bones to ramp up activity and lay down new bone cells. And new bone cells = stronger, denser bones.
How Impact Training Improves Bone Health
Throughout life, bones go through a regular remodeling process: old and damaged bone cells are broken down and replaced by new, healthy ones.
During youth, we build bone faster than we break it down — until we reach peak bone mass, which for most women occurs between ages 25–30.
But women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass during the menopause transition — usually from one year before their final period through five or six years after.
Osteoporosis Is a Childhood Disease?
Dr. Belinda Beck refers to osteoporosis as a “childhood disease.” Without enough bone-building physical activity as children and adolescents, we miss out on reaching our full bone mass potential. That leaves us more vulnerable to low bone density later in life.
SIDEBAR:
Dr. Belinda Beck ran the landmark LIFTMOR trial, which found that high-intensity resistance and impact training significantly improved bone density in postmenopausal women — and it was safe, even for those with low or very low bone mass.
How to Start Impact Training Safely
When starting any new type of exercise, begin small. See how your body responds, and progress gradually.
Research shows that bones respond best to small doses of impact spread throughout the day.
Shoes or No Shoes?
I’m often asked whether to wear shoes for impact training. My answer? It depends.
-
If you’re used to walking around barefoot, you might feel fine starting without shoes.
-
If you always wear shoes, you’ll likely feel more supported wearing them.
-
The more intense the movement, the more helpful shoes become — especially for to cushion and protect your feet during training.
One note: very cushy sneakers can absorb (a.k.a. reduce) impact, which might help beginners ease into this kind of training more comfortably.
Beginner-Friendly Impact Moves (In Order of Difficulty)
Start with just a few reps, 2–3 times a day. Work up to 10 impacts per session, aiming for 50 total per day. You can sneak these in while your coffee brews or during commercial breaks! (Bonus points for multi-directional hops and jumps.)
👀 Watch the video of each of these moves here.
-
Heel Drops: Rise onto your toes, then drop your heels down with a firm landing. You want to feel a reverberation through your bones.
-
Stomps: Lift one foot and stomp it down flat to create a skeletal vibration.
-
Jumping Jacks: The classic move — jump your legs out while raising arms overhead, then return to center.
-
Drop Landings: Step off a low platform and land with bent knees.
-
Jump: Bend knees, jump vertically, and land with control.
-
Hop: A single-leg jump in place or in different directions — like hopscotch!
Don’t worry if some of these feel awkward or unfamiliar. Pick one or two and build gradually.
🚨Watch the video of each of these moves here.
Why Impact Training Matters (Now More Than Ever)
Impact training isn’t just for elite athletes — it’s for anyone who wants to age with strength, confidence, and vitality.
Just a few hops or heel drops a day can help:
No need to jump into the deep end. Start small, stay consistent, and remember: every little impact counts.
Your bones — and your future self — will thank you.
If you need more information on navigating exercise for bone health, or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, I’m here to help! —Karin
P.S. Got Young Ones in Your Life? Help them build their “bone bank” early. Encourage them to jump, skip, hop, climb — and better yet, move with them. Bone health is a lifelong investment, and it’s never too early (or too late) to start.
References:
The Role of High-intensity and High-impact Exercises in Improving Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review., Manaye S, et. al, 2023
Mechanobiology of Bone Tissue and Bone Cells, Astrid Liedert, et. al, 2005
Bone and the perimenopause, Lo JC, et. al, 2011
The BPAQ: A bone-specific physical activity assessment instrument, Weeks B., Beck, B., 2008
Skeletal site-specific effects of jump training on bone mineral density in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Florence GE, et. al, 2023
The effect of exercise intensity on bone in postmenopausal women (part 2): A meta-analysis. Kistler-Fischbacher M, et. al, 2020
The Mechanosensory Role of Osteocytes and Implications for Bone Health and Disease States. Choi JUA, et. al, 2022
Efficiency of Jumping Exercise in Improving Bone Mineral Density Among Premenopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis, Zhao R., et. al, 2014
