“Bone density” is something you’ll start hearing more about as you age—and for good reason. However, it may not have been something your doctors or even personal trainers talked to you about in your 20s and 30s.
“Bone density or bone mineral density is a measure of the strength and integrity of your bones, specifically their mineral content, primarily calcium and phosphorus,” explains Stephen Sheehan, a certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews. “Higher bone mineral density is associated with stronger bones that are more resistant to fractures; lower bone mineral density is associated with weaker bones that are more susceptible to fractures.”
Part of the reason you may not have heard about bone density in your 20s and 30s is that those are the decades of life in which it peaks. Sheehan says bone density naturally starts to decline after your early 30s, so it’s crucial to be mindful of bone density in early and middle adulthood.
“Without intervention, bone density loss occurs at a rate of about 1% per year,” he states. “The good news is that bones are a living tissue, and that tissue responds to the demand you place on it.”
A key intervention is strength training, which doesn’t just help with muscles.
“When you lift weights, your muscles pull on your bones through tendons, and that mechanical stress actually signals the bone to rebuild itself stronger,” saysDenise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree. “Your body is pretty good at adapting to whatever you throw at it….through cells called osteoblasts, which lay down new bone tissue in response to that loading, essentially increasing density over time.”
For these reasons, trainers say there’s one arm workout that could be your best bone density hack yet. Read on to find out what it is.
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This 1 Arm Workout Could Be Your Best Bone Density Hack Yet
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Chakoian and Sheehan share that adding pushups to your arm day can improve bone density over time—and you won’t even need to invest in equipment to take their advice.
“Pushups can help with bone density in the upper body because they require those bones to endure and adapt to stressors, like the load of your bodyweight, that are more significant than the loads they are exposed to daily,” Sheehan says.
Chakoian also urges people to consider doing pushups to support bone density. “Every time you lower yourself down and push back up, your muscles are pulling hard on the bones they’re attached to,” she explains. “That tension is actually what triggers your bones to remodel and get denser.”
Chakoian says that your body has cells called osteoblasts. “Osteoblasts….detect mechanical stress and respond by laying down new bone tissue,” she reports. “Basically, it’s your skeleton’s way of saying, ‘OK, we need to get stronger for this.'”
She notes that your chest, shoulders and arms all get the memo (AKA loading signal) repeatedly. “Over time, this translates to real structural changes in the bone, not just the muscle. It’s the same principle behind why astronauts lose bone mass in zero gravity—bones need to be challenged and loaded to stay strong, and pushups are a simple, effective way to do exactly that.”
Sheehan adds that it’s also worth pointing out that pushups are a “closed-chain, compound exercise.” “Your hands stay planted while your body moves, and multiple joints extend and flex during the movement,” he says. “Compared to isolated, open-chain exercises like triceps kickbacks, closed-chain movements tend to generate greater joint and bone loading.”
Related: Want Stronger Bones? Try These 7 Daily Weight-Bearing Moves
How To Do a Pushup for Bone Density
Sheehan explains there are a few ways to do a pushup.
To do a standard pushup:
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Start in a high plank with your hands just outside shoulder width apart.
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Stack your shoulders over your wrists, and keep your body in a straight line.
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Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
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Lower your chest toward the floor, with your elbows at about 30 to 45 degrees from your body.
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Press the floor away and return to the top position.
If you’re “not there yet,” Sheehan says you can modify a standard pushup by trying:
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Wall pushups. Stand a few feet from a wall and push against it.
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Incline pushups. Place your hands on a bench, box, or counter.
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Knee pushups. Do a standard pushup with your knees on the floor.
“These still load the bones, but with less total force than a standard pushup,” he says. “They can all be a good place to start.”
He adds that you may be ready for an extra challenge if you can already do multiple sets of 10 standard pushups. He suggests trying:
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Tempo pushups. Lower your body for 3 to 5 seconds and/or pause in the bottom position. You’re increasing the loading time.
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Plyometric pushup: Press up hard, taking your hands off the ground or clapping them together (increasing rate of force applied)
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Decline pushups. Elevate your feet to alter your angle of fore, increasing the total load applied.
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Weighted pushups. Add a vest or plate to boost your total external load.
“Because bones adapt to increasing demands, it’s important to continue progressing,” Sheehan explains.
Related: Here’s How Many Lunges To Do Weekly To Support Knee Health, According to Orthopedic Doctors
Mistakes To Avoid When Doing Pushups
It’s crucial to perform pushups correctly to reduce the risk of injury and get the most benefit from them. Chakoian says to avoid:
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Letting your hips sag. Instead, Chakoian says to squeeze your glutes and brace your core before you even start the movement.
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Flaringyour elbows out wide. This mistake puts strain on the shoulders. She instructs you to keep your shoulders at around a 45-degree angle from your body.
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Going too fast and bouncing at the bottom. “It robs you of the muscle and bone stimulus you’re after, so slow it down and actually feel the chest stretch at the bottom,” she says.
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People forget to breathe properly. Yes, there’s a “best” way to breathe during pushups. “Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down, and it’ll make the whole thing feel more controlled and sustainable,” Chakoian advises.
Related: Exactly How Many Pushups To Do Each Week To Tone Your Arms
How Many Pushups To Do per Week for Bone Density
There’s no precise number of pushups to do each week to build bone density. It’s highly personal. “If you’re just starting, even three sets of 5 to 10 pushups a few times a week is enough to start giving your bones a stimulus,” Chakoian says. “Over the next few weeks, aim to gradually add reps or sets, getting to something like three sets of 20 to 30, 3 to 4 times a week, is a solid target for most people.”
If pushups start feeling easy, it’s probably time to level up. “The key is progressive overload, meaning you keep making it slightly harder over time, because your bones adapt just like your muscles do and need continued challenge to keep responding,” Chakoian says.
Sheehan suggests starting with three sets of five wall pushups and progressing once you can perform each phase easily. Those phases are:
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3 sets of 10 wall pushups
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3 sets of 5 reps of incline pushups on a weight bench
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3 sets of 10 reps of incline pushups
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3 sets of 5 reps of knee pushups
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3 sets of 10 knee pushups
“And so forth until you can do 3 sets of 10 standard pushups,” Sheehan shares. “From there, you can continue progressing your volume of standard pushups or use other progression options.”
Up Next:
Related: The One Exercise Mistake Longevity Experts Are Begging People Over 50 To Stop Making
Sources:
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Stephen Sheehan, a certified personal trainer with Garage Gym Reviews
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Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree
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Strength training builds more than muscles. Harvard Health.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.