Our bones support us through every part of life, but we often pay little attention to them until something goes wrong.
Bone is living tissue. Throughout our lives, old bone is broken down and replaced with new bone. During childhood and early adulthood, the body usually builds bone faster than it loses it. As we get older, this balance gradually changes and bone density can begin to decline.
Although some bone loss is a natural part of ageing, losing too much can make bones weaker and more likely to fracture. The good news is that regular physical activity—including TOTAL BODY WALKING™—can play an important part in protecting strength, balance and long-term independence.
What is bone density?
Bone density describes the amount of mineral contained within our bones. It is one of several factors that contribute to bone strength.
Bones with a higher mineral density are generally better able to withstand everyday loads. When bone density becomes significantly reduced, bones can become more fragile and susceptible to breaking.
There are two commonly discussed conditions associated with reduced bone density:
- Osteopenia: bone density is lower than expected but has not reached the diagnostic threshold for osteoporosis.
- Osteoporosis: a condition in which bones become weaker and more likely to fracture.
Osteoporosis is sometimes described as a silent condition because people cannot usually feel their bones becoming weaker. For many, the first indication is a fracture following a relatively minor fall or everyday movement.
Why does bone density decline?
Bone density is affected by a combination of age, genetics, hormones, health, nutrition and lifestyle.
Factors that may increase the risk of reduced bone density include:
- Getting older
- Menopause and reduced oestrogen levels
- A family history of osteoporosis
- Previous fragility fractures
- Low levels of physical activity
- Low body weight
- Poor nutrition
- Insufficient calcium or vitamin D
- Smoking
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
- Long-term use of certain medications, including some corticosteroids
- Health conditions that affect hormones, digestion or nutrient absorption
Anyone can develop osteoporosis, although it is more common in women after menopause. Men are also affected, particularly as they get older.
Why bone density matters
Reduced bone density does not automatically mean that someone will experience a fracture. Fracture risk depends on several interconnected factors, including:
- Bone strength
- Muscle strength
- Balance
- Coordination
- Eyesight
- Medication
- Home environment
- Previous falls
- General health
This is why supporting bone health involves more than focusing on a scan result. Stronger muscles, better balance and greater confidence can help reduce the likelihood of falling, while appropriate weight-bearing activity helps provide the physical stimulus bones need.
Maintaining mobility is also crucial. Fear of falling or breaking a bone can cause people to avoid activity. This may lead to further losses in strength, balance and confidence, creating a cycle of inactivity and increasing frailty.
Appropriate movement can help break that cycle.
How does physical activity support bones?
Bones respond to physical load.
When we stand, walk, climb or perform resistance exercises, forces travel through our skeleton. Muscles also pull on bones as they contract. These signals encourage the body to maintain the strength of the tissues being used.
Different forms of activity provide different benefits:
- Weight-bearing activity places controlled load through the skeleton.
- Resistance exercise strengthens muscles and increases the forces they apply to bones.
- Impact activity can provide an additional bone-strengthening stimulus when it is safe and appropriate.
- Balance training can reduce the risk of falls.
- Posture and back-strength exercises support confident everyday movement.
Walking is a weight-bearing activity and can be an accessible starting point, particularly for people who are inactive or unable to tolerate higher-impact exercise.
However, repeating the same flat walk at the same speed may not provide all the stimulus needed for bones, muscles and balance. The activity should be made progressively more purposeful and combined with suitable strength and balance exercises.
That is where TOTAL BODY WALKING™ can help.
What is TOTAL BODY WALKING™?
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ is a purposeful approach to walking that involves the whole body.
Rather than concentrating only on step count or distance, it can incorporate:
- Active involvement of the upper and lower body
- Effective walking technique
- Comfortable, upright posture
- Varied pace and intensity
- Hills and inclines
- Different surfaces
- Balance and coordination
- Strength exercises
- Individual progression
This makes TOTAL BODY WALKING™ more than simply going for a stroll. Sessions can be adapted to help participants improve cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, stability and confidence.
How can TOTAL BODY WALKING™ help?
1. It provides weight-bearing activity
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ is performed on the feet, so the legs, hips and spine support the body during movement.
Regular weight-bearing activity provides a reason for the body to maintain the muscles and bones being used. It can be especially valuable for people moving from inactivity towards a more active lifestyle.
For people with reduced bone density or a high risk of fracture, walking can provide a lower-impact option that may be easier to tolerate than jogging or jumping.
2. It involves the whole body
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ encourages purposeful use of the upper body as well as the legs.
This increases muscular involvement and can make walking more physically demanding without requiring participants to run. The arms, shoulders, trunk, hips and legs work together to produce an efficient walking action.
Strong muscles support movement, protect physical function and apply beneficial forces to the bones to which they are attached.
3. It can be progressed
Our bodies adapt to familiar activity. To continue developing fitness and strength, the challenge needs to change gradually.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ can be progressed through:
- Increasing pace
- Extending the duration of purposeful walking
- Introducing intervals
- Adding hills and inclines
- Using stairs where appropriate
- Walking over varied terrain
- Adding direction changes
- Including strength stations
- Incorporating suitable balance challenges
Progress should always reflect the participant’s current ability, health and fracture risk. More challenge is not automatically better; the right challenge is one that is safe, achievable and gradually progressive.
4. It can strengthen the muscles that support movement
Muscle and bone health are closely connected.
Strong legs and hips help us climb stairs, stand from a chair and recover from a loss of balance. Strong postural muscles support an upright position and help us move confidently.
A well-designed TOTAL BODY WALKING™ session can incorporate exercises such as:
- Sit-to-stands
- Supported squats
- Step-ups
- Calf raises
- Resistance-band exercises
- Postural exercises
- Back-muscle endurance exercises
These activities complement the walking element and help create a more complete programme.
5. It can improve balance and coordination
A fracture often occurs because someone falls. Reducing falls risk is therefore a crucial part of protecting bone health.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ sessions can include supervised activities that challenge:
- Balance
- Coordination
- Changes of direction
- Foot placement
- Stability on different surfaces
- Confidence when moving outdoors
Balance activities should be selected carefully. Anyone experiencing recurrent falls or significant problems with stability should seek appropriate professional assessment.
6. It can support better posture
Good posture is not about remaining rigid. It is about moving comfortably and efficiently while maintaining control.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ encourages awareness of walking position, upper-body movement and alignment. A bone-health-focused session can also teach safe and confident approaches to bending, lifting and everyday movement.
People with osteoporosis do not need to become afraid of moving. They may, however, benefit from learning how to move with good technique and how to adapt particular exercises.
7. It supports heart health and general fitness
Bone health does not exist in isolation.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ can also help improve:
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Stamina
- Circulation
- Energy levels
- Sleep
- Mood
- Confidence
- General mobility
These wider benefits can make it easier to remain active and independent over time.
8. It encourages consistency
Bone health requires long-term action. A short burst of activity is less helpful than a routine that can be maintained.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ can be enjoyable, social and adaptable. Group sessions provide structure, encouragement and connection, helping participants make physical activity part of their regular lives.
This matters because the best programme is not simply the most technically demanding one. It is the appropriate programme that someone can continue safely and consistently.
Is walking enough for bone health?
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ can make an important contribution to bone health, but it should form part of a wider approach.
Current guidance recommends that adults include activities to build or maintain muscular strength on at least two days each week. Older adults should also include activities that improve balance.
A comprehensive programme should therefore bring together:
- TOTAL BODY WALKING™
- Progressive resistance exercise
- Balance training
- Appropriate weight-bearing activity
- Suitable impact activity where safe
- Posture and back-strength exercises
- Adequate recovery
- Good nutrition
For some people, particularly those who are frail or have experienced vertebral or multiple fragility fractures, lower-impact activity may be more appropriate. For others, carefully progressed impact exercises may provide an additional bone-strengthening stimulus.
Exercise should always be matched to the individual.
Supporting bone health beyond exercise
Physical activity is important, but other lifestyle factors also contribute to bone health.
These include:
- Eating a varied and balanced diet
- Consuming enough calcium
- Maintaining adequate vitamin D
- Eating sufficient protein
- Avoiding smoking
- Keeping alcohol within recommended limits
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Reviewing medications with an appropriate healthcare professional
- Seeking advice about menopause and hormonal health where relevant
People diagnosed with osteoporosis may also need medication. Exercise and healthy habits support bone health, but they should not replace prescribed treatment.
When should you seek medical advice?
Speak to your GP or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional if:
- You have broken a bone following a minor fall or everyday movement
- You have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia
- You have developed sudden or unexplained back pain
- You have noticed a significant loss of height
- Your posture has changed noticeably
- You experience recurrent falls
- You have taken corticosteroid medication for an extended period
- You have a health condition that may affect your bones
- You are concerned about your personal fracture risk
A healthcare professional may recommend a fracture-risk assessment, DXA scan, blood tests or other investigations.
Moving towards stronger, more confident ageing
We cannot control every factor affecting bone density, but physical activity is one important factor we can influence.
TOTAL BODY WALKING™ offers an accessible way to introduce regular weight-bearing movement while also developing whole-body fitness, muscular endurance, coordination and confidence.
When combined with progressive strength, balance and suitable weight-bearing exercises, it can form part of a practical approach to maintaining physical function and supporting healthier bones.
The goal is not simply to improve a number on a scan. It is to help people stay strong, steady, mobile and able to enjoy the activities that make life meaningful.
