Walking
Brisk walking keeps you active and helps your balance. The sit-to-stand and heel-drop exercises add the extra load bones need.
- 30 minutes
- Most days
Should feel: Comfortable exercise Should not feel: Sudden back pain — stop and tell us
Home / Patient library / Exercise sheets / Sheet 50
Bone strengthening and balance exercises
Bone & joint disease · Osteoporosis
How to use this sheet. Do the exercises slowly. Stop before the pain builds — mild discomfort is fine, sharp pain is not. A little every day beats a lot once a week. Avoid bending forward and twisting while lifting (for example, lifting a bucket from the floor with a rounded back), and avoid sit-ups and toe-touching.
A4 PDF, 0.4 MB. Free to download — no sign-up, no email address needed.
Sit to stand
Sit near the front of a firm chair, feet flat and slightly apart. Lean forward and stand up without using your hands if you can, then sit down slowly. Use the armrests if you need to. When this is easy, hold a bag with some weight in it.
- 10 times
- 2 to 3 days a week
Should feel: The thighs and buttocks working Should not feel: Back pain or dizziness
Heel drops
Hold a worktop. Rise onto your toes, then drop down onto your heels with a firm thump. If you have had a fracture in the spine, or this causes pain, leave it out until we agree.
- 10 times
- Most days
Should feel: A firm jolt through the heels and legs Should not feel: Back or hip pain
Single-leg balance
Stand on one leg beside a worktop. Balance prevents falls, and preventing falls prevents fractures.
- 30 seconds
- 3 times a day
Should feel: Working to stay steady Should not feel: Losing balance — hold on
Heel-to-toe walking
Walk heel to toe along a line, beside a support.
- 10 steps
- Daily
Should feel: Steadier walking Should not feel: Wobbling — use the wall
Standing hip abduction
Lift the leg out to the side, holding a support.
- 15 times each side
- Daily
Should feel: The hip working Should not feel: Back pain
Standing tall against a wall
Stand with your back against a wall, heels a little away from it. Gently draw the shoulder blades back and down and lengthen the back of the neck, so the back of the head moves towards the wall. Keep the chin level; do not tip the head back. Hold, then relax.
- Hold 5 seconds, 10 times
- Daily
Should feel: The muscles between the shoulder blades working, and standing taller Should not feel: Sharp pain in the back — stop
Stop and telephone us if
- The pain is getting worse, not better, after two weeks
- You get new numbness, tingling or weakness
- Sudden severe back pain — this may be a fracture
- You feel unwell or feverish
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