Dr Amir Khan reveals how to build stronger bones over 60

Dr Amir Khan next to concept of bone health

(Image credit: Dr Amir Khan / Getty Images)

From the age of 35, our bone density starts to decline as the amount we lose begins to overtake the amount we make naturally. But, if recent studies are anything to go by, there are simple ways to change this.

Exercise is the first one. A study in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle showed that the rate of decline in bone and muscle mass can be slowed if we stay physically active. However, woman&home's resident doctor, Dr Amir Khan, warns that a walking workout won't be enough to see bone growth with age.

When asked by Cherry Healey about how we can keep our bones healthy on No Appointment Necessary, he said that movement and variety are key, but we specifically need to be doing weight-bearing exercises for osteoporosis. “Walking is good for your health in general, but it’s not the exercise for bone health. You need to do something that really impacts your bones,” he explains.

Dr Khan gives examples of climbing stairs, hopping, skipping, doing lunges or lifting weights. This is because these kinds of exercises move your muscles against resistance and “set off a whole cascade of events”.

He explains that our muscles send messengers called myokines to our bones, saying something is moving against resistance. The osteocytes inside our bones pick up on the movement and the need to become stronger so that the bone doesn’t break. This triggers bone production cells, called osteoblasts, to go into overdrive and start making more bone. The movement and sequence of events also slows down the loss of bone and repair any damage.

'Bones are like trees'

“I like to think of our bones like trees, almost," says the doctor. "If you planted two trees together and one tree was in a windy place and one was in a quiet, calm place, the wind and movement of that tree stimulates that tree to grow thicker rather than taller, so it’s more stable. That other tree will grow taller rather than thicker. It’s the same for our bones. The more movement you do, the thicker your bones become. Bones and trees, we’re the same.”

What affects our bone health?

Hormones

Our hormone levels play a key part in our bone mass density. Dr Khan says, “as our oestrogen levels decline in perimenopause, we produce fewer bone cells and bone loss can be accelerated”. This is why, even if you’ve never done any weight training before, we're always encouraging our readers to give it a go.

"There is no age at which you can’t get your bone density back," says Dr Khan. Just starting with 15 minutes of lifting light weights daily at home, or doing some of the exercises mentioned above, or even a simple jumping workout, can make a huge difference.

If you have any joint or mobility issues, Dr Khan suggests giving aqua aerobics a try because it’s safe, but you’re still moving against resistance in the water.

Weight

weight-bearingStaying at a healthy weight is also really important for our bone health, says Dr Khan. This is because “carrying additional weight will put additional weight on your joints and push your bones together”, which can cause pain. This is usually on weight bearing joints such as the knees or hips, and can be worse in people who suffer from arthritis. Dr Khan says staying active can stimulate the production of fluid between the bones to keep them lubricated and less stiff or sore.

Diet

Finally, eating a balanced diet is also important for our bone health. Calcium keeps our bones and teeth healthy, and vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium.

Protein is also important for maintaining and building muscle mass so aim to eat a good helping with every meal, if you can. Eating well will also stop you from being underweight which can increase your risk of fractures.

If you have any concerns about your bone health you should always speak to your GP.

Kat Storr has been a digital journalist for over 15 years after starting her career at Sky News, where she covered everything from world events to royal babies and celebrity deaths. After going freelance eight years ago, she now focuses on women's health and fitness content, writing across a range of UK publications.

From perimenopause to the latest fitness trends, Kat loves researching and writing about it all. She's happy to give any fitness challenge a go and speaks to experts about wellbeing issues affecting people every day.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.