In the past, I used to have an “all-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.
- While standing, bend first one knee, then the other.
- Keep your toes on the ground but lift your heels.
- 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.
- Contract your abdominal muscles slowly 5 times (5 seconds per contraction).
- Contract them quickly 5 times (2 seconds per contraction).
- 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 “Sit 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:
- Squeeze your gluteal muscles, hold for a few seconds, and release.
- 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:
- Hold the weights straight out in front of you, arms shoulder width apart.
- Turn your arms so your thumbs are toward the ceiling.
- Bend one arm and bring the weight close beside your chest.
- Extend that arm again while bending the other arm.
- 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:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your torso still, tilt your pelvis back slowly.
- Tighten your abs and gently tilt your pelvis forward.
- 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.
- Shift your weight to one foot (hold on to something steady if necessary).
- Use the muscles of your hip and to extend the other foot outward so that it dangles with the toes touching the floor.
- 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.
- Make 10 small circles counter clockwise.
- 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 Densercise™.
When I wrote the Densercise™ 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, Densercise™ only takes 15 minutes a day just three times a week.
The exercises in Densercise™ 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 – Densercise™ while you watch TV, for instance.
And even though they are simple and take only 15 minutes, the Densercise™ moves are extremely effective at building bone density.
Exercise, like so many lifestyle changes, is a state of mind. Densercise™ helps you develop the mindset that makes bone-building a pleasant part of your daily life.
Please click here to learn more about the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System.
Keep moving!
You May Also Like These Related Articles:
Don’t Let An Osteoporosis Diagnosis Make You Feel Old
How To Get (And Stay) Motivated On Your Natural Bone Health Journey
Not Sure You Can Stick With Your Bone Healthy Diet? These 9 Steps Will Guarantee You Can!Comments on this article are closed.
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My name is Ritu Singh and would appreciate to have your opinion. I have hypothyroidism. I have started getting frequent back pain and if I bend my backbone it starts paining a lot. I am on medication for hypothyroidism and have read how thyroxine hormone levels affect bone density. I was searching on net and I found your program. At present I can feel so much of stiffness in my bones, my orthopedic doc has suggested me to reduce my weight and meet physiotherapist for exercises of neck and backbone. I am so confused as what is affecting what? Can you pls help. Thanks for this kind of platform.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Ritu-
Ritu, please send an e-mail to support@saveourbones.com (or click on the smiley face icon at the bottom of the page), and we’ll be glad to help answer your questions. 🙂
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Hi Vivian, I would love it if you would make a Densercise DVD,
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I WAS ALLREADY DOING ,IN MY OWN, WHAT YOU ARE TELLING US .JUST COME TO ME,IS MY IDEA,AND REALLY HELP. I JUST STARTED A MONTH AGO,AND WILL CONTINUING DOING FROM NOW ON.I SURPRISE ME ,WENT I SEE TO SEE IT THE INTERNET ,I,M HAPPY THAT WORKS.
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I love this site! I love the exercise tips and especially one that told me about wearing a vest with weights for resistance exercise.
I walk already so I just wear a vest when walking , Im using the nyk vest its perfect for me it looks nice also.
So far following Vivians recipes for delicious bone building foods and doing my weight walking each day I’ve halted my osteoporosis and have gotten back 5% of my bone mass back again!! Hooray ! -
Please make the Densercise Program available in DVD format. Thank you.
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Vivian, I’m interested in your Densercise program but wouldn’t be able to do it running back and forth to my computer every few seconds. I’d really like it if you made it available in a DVD.
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Hi! Vivian,
I Would Love To Try The Densercise, But I’d Also Like My Significant Other To Do Them As Well.
Do You Have Any Ideas How To Get Him Motivated? So He’ll At Least Try It!
Thank You For All You Do!
LOVE, LESLIE (MS. L. CARMEL)
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I REALLY ENJOY ALL YOUR E-MAILS AND HAVE TRIED ALL THE EXCERCISES
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Thank you for these 10 2-minute exercises. I also have MS and cannot ‘power walk’ outside but can easily add these 2-minute exercises to my daily physiotherapy work out.
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I learn new things to do just by readig what others do. l have enjoyed your mail very much about the food to eat for the seniors who have stomach problems. Thanks for your time wiht us. Mary
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These are all great exercises — and they make waiting (whether in line, at the stove, or in a doctor’s office) much more enjoyable. Thanks!
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Hi Vivian we are getting the most amazing weather here in Ireland,sun shine all week getting plenty of Vitamin D hope it dose my bones good.This weather we are getting is most on heard of in Ireland never get good summers so I am making the most of it and having the time of my life.
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Whoops I just realized you have an online video system. Does it work on an iPad, and an I phone. I do not have flash on either device nor do I have a computer. Otherwise if it will work in my devices I will sign right up
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I would love it if you would make a Densercise DVD
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Great tips, Vivian, and many thanks!
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These are great exercises because they are practical and do not require
extra time.Selma
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Thank you,Ita.
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Thanks Vivien, I needed these to go with my walking and line dancing.
Renee
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Thank you, Vivian for the creative exercises
Shula
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Hi Vivian,
I had purchased your Densercise ebook and I cannot view it. I type in the password you provided and I cannot open the Densercise . What can I do now?-
Mariana, please send us an e-mail in customer support. Just click on the smiley face icon at the top of the page and send us your questions. Thanks!
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These are great! So easy to fit into my day.
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Thanks for tips, I have a question. Bought the ingredients for deodorant but could not find lime essential oil, so I bought lemon. Will that be ok? Thanks,
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Lemon should be fine, Diane! It’s a matter of preference. You can use whatever scent you like. 🙂
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these are good, thanks;-)
I also do your one legged tooth brushing.
my offer is: waiting for the computer to come all the way on, or get to the next page? do reps of rising from your seat. I usually get at least 12-16 when it starts up, and in between anything is good to grab. I hear increasingly, it’s how long we sit still, not so much or how little we exercise that ‘does us in’. Going for a marathon 45 min walk can not undo sitting for 2-3-4! hours. so having a station for the laptop where one can stand is great. I’ve been thinking about that too.-
Wise words, Susan! Thank you for additional daily exercise tips. 🙂
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Hello Vivian:
I hope you will reply to this. I normally walk for one hour every day, but there are times if I prefer to walk longer than an hour, I get this discomfort or perhaps I should say pain on my back. It feels as a piece of rock on my back. I never have liked to stand up straight and I am not sure if that is one of the reasons. It feels as I get tired when I stand straight. I don’t understand the reason, but it feels as something must be wrong with my bones, ribs or perhaps spinal cord. Any thoughts?
Regards,
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Not Vivian here, but I would suggest having it checked out at a well informed Chiropractor. They may want to take x-rays, but in any event they are usually less expensive than medical doctors. Without x-rays they may be able to detect some out of position bones, muscles, or connective tissue as they are so good at touch. One visit may tell you a lot.
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These are a great addition to your Densersize program . I have that and try to keep up with it as much as possible. It has really helped my muscle tone and balance. Thank you.
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liked your ideas for simple bone building activities. I have thinning bones and needed to heat that something is better than nothing,
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Vivian, I wanted to thank you for your Densercise Program. It works really well without stressing me out!! I do have days when time is out of my control and these quick exercises will help. Love all the additional helps from others in the Community. I also wanted to share that every time I have contacted my Customer Support person, they have come back in a timely manner and always have been kind and supportive even with some of my “dumb” questions! Thanks to all of you for helping me to succeed!!
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Thank you for your kind words, Terry! And I am so glad to hear that bone-building exercises are part of your daily routine, even when time is tight. 🙂
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Thankyou, i will certainly be trying them.
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HI. Vivian. my doctor has recommended my taking 5mg Endone Tablets for the pain of my osteoporosis, can i please have your thoughts on this medication, Thanks for a very informotive website. Kind Regards. Harold.
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thank you very much
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ty
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Hello Vivian,
Everyday I do sun salutations before my hour of yoga.
They only take 10 minutes to do and they give my body a full
workout. I know of one person who just does sun salutations as exercise.
Do your exercises at the same time and it becomes a habit.
The trick is not to listen to your mind, it is always trying to
keep you from achieving your goals.
Marc-
Yes, Marc, I agree that having a positive mindset is very important. It’s a good idea to use your exercise time to get in the right frame of mind. 🙂
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two more exercices:
variation on ex. 9: draw an 8 3 times in both directions. be creative: you can do it also with your feet, knees, hips, vingers, hand, arm, shoulder, head. it should be great for your brain also.
variation on 10: sitting in a chair, do like you are climbing a stair. push with your heel at the floor. le/ri 10-20 times.
problems to rise from a chair? do the last exercise three times with both feet and in the 4th time you will stand up easy. you have done a warming up and prepared your standup muscles for the job.
success
nico-
Thank you, Nico! 🙂
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Hi! I’m from the Philippines. I am a senior already. Many years ago I was diagnosed with osteroarthritis. I loved reading your Saveourbones news info. I have this baker’s cyst at the back of my left knee. I think it’s causing pain when walking, I do my leg exercises at least 3xaday hoping the cyst will diminish. The doctor suggests I should have MRI and have it surgically removed, but that’s not my option! I had synovial fluid injection a year ago and am taking supplements like Collagen and glucosamine.
Do you think these are helpful? Thanks for your advise . Hoping….