Skip to main content

Weight-Bearing Exercise

Meaning

Weight-bearing exercise is any physical activity in which the body works against gravity, forcing muscles and bones to support the body’s weight. Examples include walking, running, resistance training, and dancing, as opposed to swimming or cycling. This specific type of mechanical loading is crucial for stimulating osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation, thereby increasing bone mineral density and strength. In hormonal health, weight-bearing exercise is a non-pharmacological necessity for mitigating age-related bone loss, especially when sex steroid levels decline.