Good Bone Health: Is Bouncing Better than Pilates for Building Stronger Bones?

I went to my first Bounce Blast class in December. I spent 45mins bouncing like a kid with 8 other women. It was invigorating, fast , fun and I prevented any embarrassment by going to the bathroom beforehand.

It got me thinking that we all need to include exercise that strengthens our bones to help prevent a bone break if we fall. Whether you're a 35 year old female, 50 year old male post prostate cancer treatment or a 50 year old female going through menopause, bone health matters. Swimming, cycling, and rowing will keep you fit but will not directly improve bone health. Where as running, dancing, jumping, tai chi and pilates will.

According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, the best way to keep bones strong is to do weight-bearing impact (bouncing) and muscle strengthening exercise (pilates). Is one more effective than the other?

Why Bone Health Matters

Bone is living tissue. It is constantly being broken down by osteoclasts and rebuilt by osteoblasts. After our mid-30s, breakdown takes precedence. Oestrogen keeps bones strong by protecting the osteoblasts. But during perimenopause and menopause, bone turnover speeds up and bone density drops.

To stay strong, bones need impact, muscle pull and mechanical challenge otherwise they become weaker. Movement is the most powerful tool we have for slowing bone loss. Other ways you can help yourself....

Ways to Improve Bone Health

Body Weight: Avoid being too light. Low body weight means less bone tissue and if you're older less padding around the hips making it more likely to break a bone if you fall.

Avoid Smoking: Smoking slows down the cells that build bone in your body. It increases chances of women having earlier menopause with an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Avoid Drinking too much alcohol: Alcohol affects the cells that build and break down bone.

Slips, Trips & Falls: Exercises to improve balance, coordination and reflexes to reduce the chances of a fall.

Risk Factors You Cannot Change

Your Genes: if you have a parent who has broken a hip, the chances are you may too.

Ageing: from 35 the amount of bone tissue you have starts to naturally decrease. It can be measured with a bone density scan. As you get older your bone tissue loses strength and is more likely to break, regardless of your bone density. Becoming less steady on your feet increases the risk of falls.

Being Female: post-menopause, bone loses strength faster because levels of oestrogen lower. Women have smaller bones than men which increases the risk of breaking them and they live longer.

History of broken bones: increases the chances of breaking a bone again

Medications: Steroids if taken for more than 3 months, anti-epileptic medications, breast cancer and prostate cancer hormone treatments.

Medical Conditions: Rheumatoid arthritis, hysterectomy with removal of ovaries before 45, anorexia, Turner's syndrome, excessive exercise, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid disease, Crohn's & Coeliac disease, and stroke if immobile for a long time.

The Good News Is - Exercise Helps

Bones stay strong if you give them work to do. The best way to keep bones strong is to do both weight-bearing impact and muscle-strengthening exercises. Short bursts of activity are ideal for bones. For example, running then jogging, or jogging then walking. Variety is also good for bones. Do a range of movements, in different directions and at different speeds. eg. dancing

Weight-Bearing Impact Exercise

Weight-bearing or standing allows the weight of your whole body to pull down on your bones. Impact means an "extra force or controlled jolt through your bones".

Low Impact: walking, marching, stair climbing, walking uphill

Moderate Impact: Jogging, running, Highland dancing, racket sports, skipping, hopping, low level jumps

High Impact: Basket ball, volley ball, star jumps, tuck jumps

Why is Rebounding Popular?

Rebounding or bouncing on a mini trampoline isn’t new. In fact, it first made waves in the late 1970s when a NASA study famously showed that bouncing was an incredibly efficient way for astronauts to regain muscle and bone strength after losing bone mass in zero gravity. Fast-forward to today, and rebounders are having a huge revival — especially among women in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Here’s why:

It's fun: Rebounding feels playful, freeing and surprisingly joyful. It’s exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise — which is a blessing when motivation isn’t exactly overflowing.

It’s pain-free impact: Bones love impact, but joints don’t always agree. A rebounder gives the bones a healthy “shock” while cushioning the joints, which is perfect for women managing perimenopause aches or old injuries.

The lymphatic buzz: Rebounding helps stimulate lymph flow, which many reduce puffiness, boost energy and help you feel lighter.

It’s five-minutes-friendly: On low-energy days, rebounding feels like something you can start — and starting is often the biggest barrier.

Bone health is finally being talked about: As more women realise how rapidly bone density drops after menopause, anything that supports bone strength — but feels good and is easy to stick with becomes very appealing.

Impact exercise is safe for osteoporosis but best to stick with low-impact activities (not bouncing) if you have had a spinal fracture or many broken bones. It may not be suitable if you have arthritis in your knees so check with your physio or GP first.

Physiological Benefits

Rebounding gives bones exactly what they respond to:

Gentle-to-moderate impact: The mini-trampoline creates a vertical loading effect: every bounce stimulates bone cells in a joint-friendly way.

Whole-body activation: Your legs, hips, core, spine and deep stabilisers all fire at once.

Cardiovascular perks: Within minutes, your heart rate lifts — supporting metabolism, hormone balance and overall health.

Muscle Strengthening Exercise

When your muscles pull on your bones, it gives them work to do. Your bones will respond by renewing themselves. This maintains or improves their strength. As your muscles get stronger, they will pull harder. This means your bones are more likely to get stronger. You’ll need to move your muscles against some resistance to make them stronger.This can be your own body weight, a resistance band or weights.

Progressive muscle resistance training is the best type of muscle-strengthening exercise for your bones. It involves using weights or resistance bands to build up the work for your muscles to do over time. You do this by gradually increasing the weight you lift, in a slow and controlled way. Weights are probably best for bone strength, but bands are a great way to start.

Four groups of muscle-strengthening exercises that can help with bone strength. These are hinge, push, pull and squat.

How Does Pilates Fit into the Picture?

Pilates is brilliant for muscle strengthening, especially core and:

Improving posture (vital for loading bones safely)

Building hip and glute strength

Enhancing balance

Improving confidence in movement

Reducing stiffness

Lowering fall risk

These are huge wins for bone health — especially fall-prevention. Most fractures happen not because bones are weak… but because we lose balance.

However, Pilates on its own is low impact. It supports bone health beautifully — but it doesn’t provide the “impact signal” that tells bones to increase density. Think of Pilates as your foundation: the alignment, strength and stability that make all other bone-friendly exercise safer and more effective.

Is Rebounding or Pilates More Effective for Bone Health?

Combined, they provide the best results:

Rebounding: provides the impact bones need to maintain or improve density.

It gives the osteogenic (bone-building) stimulus that Pilates alone doesn’t provide.

Pilates: provides the strength, posture and balance that keep your bones — and you — safe during impact.

It reduces fall risk, improves movement quality and keeps the spine well-supported.

A Bone-Friendly Week

2–3 Pilates sessions per week

2–3 rebounding sessions per week or other low-moderate impact activity

10–20 minutes, gentle bounce to start, then build up to intervals

Daily movement: Walking, stair climbing, carrying shopping — your bones love variety.

If you have osteopenia: rebounding is usually safe if you start gradually.

If you have osteoporosis or vertebral fractures: keep bounces low or foot-connected; avoid high jumps; get guidance first. If you’re deconditioned or nervous, begin with Pilates before adding impact.

Summary

Bones need exercise to stay strong and help prevent falls and broken bones. Both muscle strengthening and weight-bearing impact exercise is needed. If in doubt, start with Pilates for the strength before adding impact exercise like jogging. Pilates exercises can be modified to be osteopenia and osteoporosis-friendly.

If you want to give your bones the love they deserve, join my Healthy Bones pilates courses starting in January by booking online here. You can always book a free taster class by emailing vanessa@threepillarsofhealth.co.uk.