Now that gyms are slowly opening up it’s time for all of us to get our post-quarantine bodies back into shape, but according to Harvard Health some exercises are actually better for you later in life.
Here are some of the best exercises to do in the gym that will help your muscles AND bones:
- Exercises that train resistance– Resistance training can be done with dumbbells, soup cans, or the tug of resistance bands. Harvard Health explains, “Resistance exercises, including classic strength training, rely on muscle contractions that tug on bones to stimulate them to bulk up.”
- Exercises that make you bear weight– These include running, walking, dancing, and playing golf, as well as any activity where “you carry your body weight and work against gravity” and Harvard Health says this prompts your bones to grow stronger.
- Exercises that require impact– Box jumps are an example of an impact exercise and it turns out, your bones love them.
- High velocity exercises– Harvard Health explains that increasing your speed, like jogging or fast-paced aerobics, will do more to strengthen your bones than a slow-paced stroll or calisthenics.
- Dynamic exercises– Making quick, sharp turns, like in soccer or squash, has been found to improve bone development. Not into those sports? Dancing requires a similar dexterity.
- Exercises that work on balance– Moves that target balance may not be the best for building bone, but they do help keep you from falling, so Harvard Health says they “serve a bone-protecting function.”
