10 Ways To Build Your Bones In 2 Minutes

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Lifestyle

Evidence-Based
6 min Read
2 minute bone building

In the past, I used to have an β€œall-or-nothing” attitude. If I couldn’t go for something 100 percent, then I didn’t want to go for it at all. But with my busy schedule, I began to realize that I was missing some great opportunities. For example, I’d skip walking or exercising on some days. Realizing this, I taught myself to change.

And today, I’ll show you how to do this – starting with 10 amazingly simple and effective 2-minute bone-building exercises you can do anytime and just about anywhere.

Don’t Give Up! Exercise is Much Too Important

You’re surely familiar with how important exercise is to your bone health. Study after study has shown that your bones need to move to be strong. The force of gravity causes a good kind of stress that your bones respond to by increasing their density.

So just because you can’t find the time to exercise for your bones on a given day, it doesn’t mean you can’t exercise at all.

The key is changing your mentality: instead of thinking of exercise as an all-or-nothing deal, you’ll discover how to find exercise opportunities in new and unexpected places.

10 Two-Minute Exercises That Build Your Bones

If you incorporate all 10 of them into your day, you’ll get 20 minutes of exercise in. Not bad! And you can do most of these moves while doing other tasks, like cooking or waiting in line.

Now let’s get started!

#1: Quick Power Walk

While walking is excellent exercise that strengthens bones and reduces stress, not everyone has the time and space to go for a long walk every day. Have you ever thought about incorporating quick walks into your daily routine? Instead of looking for the closest parking spot, deliberately park far away from the store, office, etc. and walk vigorously to your destination. You have to walk back, too, so there’s another burst of exercise.

#2: Jog or March in Place While You Wait

During those minutes of down time in your day, such as waiting for water to boil or printing material off your computer, jog or march in place instead of standing or sitting.

#3: Stationary Stairs

This exercise mimics the action of going up or down stairs, but you stay in one place.

  1. While standing, bend first one knee, then the other.
  2. Keep your toes on the ground but lift your heels.
  3. Repeat for 2 minutes.

Desk workers’ tip: If you work at a computer, set up a makeshift standing work station by putting your keyboard and monitor (or laptop) up on boxes or books. You can do Stationary Stairs while you’re typing or reading online.

#4: Abdominal Squeeze

Strengthening core muscles in the abdominal region helps align your skeleton and improves your posture. Do these isometric exercises any time, sitting or standing.

  1. Contract your abdominal muscles slowly 5 times (5 seconds per contraction).
  2. Contract them quickly 5 times (2 seconds per contraction).
  3. Contract them very slowly 5 times (10 seconds per contraction).

Repeat this cycle until your 2 minutes are up (each cycle takes 85 seconds).

#5: Use Your β€œSit Down” Muscles

Sitting still for long periods is detrimental to your bones and your overall health. So make the most of your sitting time by working your gluteal muscles. Try this exercise:

  1. Squeeze your gluteal muscles, hold for a few seconds, and release.
  2. Repeat for 2 minutes.

#6: Arm Pump

Whether you use a can of food or actual weights, take 2 minutes to do some exercises like this one while sitting or standing:

  1. Hold the weights straight out in front of you, arms shoulder width apart.
  2. Turn your arms so your thumbs are toward the ceiling.
  3. Bend one arm and bring the weight close beside your chest.
  4. Extend that arm again while bending the other arm.
  5. Continue for 2 minutes.

Variation: Work your bicep muscles by turning your hands palms-up (while grasping the weights) and doing 2 minutes of curls.

#7: Pelvic Tilt

Any time you are standing, try this exercise to tone the pelvic muscles and lower abdominals:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Keeping your torso still, tilt your pelvis back slowly.
  3. Tighten your abs and gently tilt your pelvis forward.
  4. Repeat for 2 minutes.

#8: Television Jumping Jacks

If you’re watching television, get up during the commercials and do jumping jacks. Most commercial breaks last for about five minutes, so you can do another 2-minute exercise during the second half of the break.

#9: Toe Circles

When you’re standing at the kitchen counter cooking (or any time you are standing), make toe circles with one foot at a time. Here’s how.

  1. Shift your weight to one foot (hold on to something steady if necessary).
  2. Use the muscles of your hip and to extend the other foot outward so that it dangles with the toes touching the floor.
  3. Use your hip and gluteal muscles to make 10 small circles with your foot clockwise. Think of drawing circles with your big toe, but using your whole leg to make the circle.
  4. Make 10 small circles counter clockwise.
  5. Switch feet and repeat.

#10: Stepping Up and Down

Take advantage of sidewalk ledges or steps while you’re at a bus stop, waiting for a cab or to cross the street. Carefully step up and down with alternate legs for 2 minutes. At home, you can take a moment to step up and down on your house steps or a sturdy stepping stool.

A Quick Word of Caution

Please don’t do any exercise that makes you feel unsteady or off-balance.

If You Liked These 10 Exercises, You’ll Love Denserciseβ„’.

When I wrote the Denserciseβ„’ Epidensity Training System, the exercise program specifically designed to increase bone density, I had this principle in mind: simple exercises that do not require special equipment and that you can do anytime, anywhere without getting bored.

In fact, Denserciseβ„’ only takes 15 minutes a day just three times a week.

The exercises in Denserciseβ„’ are not hard to learn, so they are really easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Once you familiarize yourself with the moves, you can even multitask – Denserciseβ„’ while you watch TV, for instance.

And even though they are simple and take only 15 minutes, the Denserciseβ„’ moves are extremely effective at building bone density.

Exercise, like so many lifestyle changes, is a state of mind. Denserciseβ„’ helps you develop the mindset that makes bone-building a pleasant part of your daily life.

Please click here to learn more about the Denserciseβ„’ Epidensity Training System.

Keep moving!

sig black