Two Hours A Week For Your Bones
16 Oct 2026 · @Ste Foster
Nobody's ever walked into the gym and asked me to train their bones.
Arms, yes. Abs, every week. Glutes, constantly. Bones? Never. And I get it. You can't see them in the mirror, you can't flex them, and they don't bother you until the day they really, really do.
But a big piece of research landed this week that made me want to talk about them. Mainly because the answer is simpler than people think. And it takes a lot less time than people think too.
What the study actually found
Researchers pulled together 124 clinical trials. Over 18,000 people, all aged 40 and up. The question was simple enough. What type of exercise, and how much of it, keeps your bones strong as you get older?
The answer was about two to three hours a week of moderate stuff. Brisk walking. Easy jogging. That kind of thing. Roughly 20 to 25 minutes a day. That was enough to slow down the bone loss that normally creeps in with age. Gentler mind-body work like tai chi and yoga showed up well too.
Not ten hours. Not a punishing programme. Twenty minutes a day.
Why this matters more after 40
Here's the bit nobody tells you. Your bones hit their peak somewhere around your late twenties or early thirties. After that it's a slow leak. You don't feel it. There's no warning light on the dashboard.
Then one day it's a slip on an icy pavement in December. Or a fall off a step ladder. And what should've been a bruise turns into a broken wrist or a hip.
That's the stuff that genuinely takes people's independence away later in life. Not a bit of belly fat. Not a slow 5k time. A fracture you didn't see coming.
What actually counts
Good news. You're probably closer than you think.
The walk to the station, if you actually walk it with a bit of pace
Taking the dog out properly, not a stroll round the block
A lunchtime loop instead of eating at your desk
An easy jog at the weekend
A yoga or tai chi class if that's more your thing
The key word is moderate. Breathing a bit harder. Could still chat but you'd rather not. And it needs to be on your feet. Your bones respond to load, so the stuff where you're carrying your own body weight is the stuff that counts. Swimming and cycling are brilliant for your heart. For your bones, not so much.
Split it however you like. Twenty minutes a day. Forty minutes three times a week. Whatever fits your life. The one that fits is the one that happens.
So where does the gym come in?
I'm a strength coach. Of course I was getting here eventually.
Walking slows the leak. Strength training is how you actually patch it. Lifting something heavy puts real load through your bones, and that load is the signal that tells them to stay strong. Squats, deadlifts, carries, step ups. The basics. Done properly and done consistently.
And there's the bit people forget. Stronger legs and better balance mean you're less likely to fall in the first place. Strong bones are great. Not hitting the floor at all is better.
So here's the week I'd give most people over 40. Two strength sessions. Your two hours of walking spread through the week. That's it. No two hour gym marathons. No seven days a week. Just the basics, every week, for years.
Timeout over
You don't need to train your bones. You need to stop ignoring them.
Two to three hours a week on your feet. A couple of proper strength sessions. That's the whole prescription. It's not exciting and it won't show up in a mirror selfie. But in twenty years you'll be the one carrying your own shopping, getting up off the floor without a second thought, and laughing off the icy pavement.
If you're over 40 and you're not sure where to start with the strength side, that's literally what I do. Apply for coaching and we'll build the week around your life, not the other way round.
