Playing with your kids or grandkids, going on walks with friends, avoiding fractures, storing calcium and protecting your vital organs: These are all reasons it is important to protect your bone health as much as possible. Further, bone health becomes increasingly threatened as we age, and earlier than you might think. Studies have shown that bone loss begins between the ages of 30 and 40, and menopause is an exacerbating factor due to the hormonal changes it causes.
How Pounding the Stairs Can Benefit Bone Health
While stomping up the stairs might have been discouraged as a kid, it is a great exercise for bone density. For starters, it is a high-impact activity. Higher impact activities can load the bone, said Dr. Natalie Danna, an orthopedic surgeon and residency program director with the department of orthopedics at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Because bone is a living tissue that is dynamic, it changes in response to various stimuli. Loading the bone can stimulate new bone formation that leads to higher bone density. Basically, when a physical activity stimulates the bone, it tells the bone cells to build more bone so it is as strong and capable as possible.
While you may feel silly picturing yourself pounding the stairs, do not let that hold you back. Consider this reframe and clarification: It is not just reckless stomping; it is controlled loading and repetitive loading, said Dr. Susan Bukata, chair of the department of orthopedic surgery at UC San Diego and a Solaria Bio clinical advisor. For best results, it is important to do this regularly. According to Bukata, consistency matters more than intensity. She recommended stomping the stairs as a regular exercise, rather than just pounding them whenever you have to walk up the stairs for another reason. Incidental stairs can be too irregular to move the needle. In general, loading your bones at least 30 minutes a day is really important.
That can mean one minute of pounding the stairs 30 times a day, or pounding for 30 minutes all at once, she continued. It does not matter. If you are busy, exercise snacks, aka shorter bursts of exercise, are surprisingly beneficial.
Be Cautious with Pounding the Stairs
As with any exercise, it is important to be mindful of health and safety concerns. I would advise caution with high-impact activities like pounding the stairs, Danna warned, saying that it could damage body tissues like cartilage (the joints) or the meniscus (in the knee). Some doctors straight-up are not a fan. I would not advocate for forcefully stepping or striking one's foot onto a stair as this is unnecessary, and any perceived benefit in increasing bone mineral density or the strength of the bone will be offset by the tremendous increase in risk of stress injuries, tendinitis, tendon or muscle strains or over-injuries, said Dr. Nicholas Callahan, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Hip and Knee Institute.
For some, climbing the stairs alone may be enough. According to Danna, it is great for bone loading, muscle strengthening, lung health and cardiovascular health. A mix of pounding and not pounding may be a solution for some individuals. At the very least, take it slow. Bones adapt best when you load them regularly and gradually increase the challenge over time, Bukata said.
Other Bone Health Exercises for People Over 40
Besides climbing and pounding the stairs, a general focus on weight-bearing activities is a smart choice for your bones. That could mean running, walking, jogging, jumping, hiking, upright sports and yoga. Strength training is also non-negotiable, according to Bukata, when it comes to bone health. I want people doing progressive resistance training two to three times per week with weights, machines or bands, because strong muscles create strong bones, she said. You could do squats, lunges or deadlifts.
Danna agreed that strength training is a must. It is important to remember that bones are not the only tissues we should focus on after 40. Muscle mass and strength also decrease with age. Resistance and strength training exercises are quite important as well. But again, that is all in addition to climbing (and possibly pounding) the stairs, depending on what your primary care provider feels is safest and most effective for your body.
