---
title: "How to Build Bone Strength Without Wrecking Your Knees"
entity: "blog"
canonical_url: "https://www.betterknees.com/blog/how-to-build-bone-strength-without-wrecking-your-knees"
markdown_url: "https://www.betterknees.com/llms/blog/how-to-build-bone-strength-without-wrecking-your-knees"
lastmod: "2025-10-06T19:17:00.000Z"
---

Last week a friend and former client emailed me. 

“Have you read about the jumping studies?” she asked. 

“Wonder if it will become a trend.”

She referenced an article published a few days earlier in The Washington Post , with this subheading:  

“If you need an excuse to jump around, here it is.”  

The article points out that, as we get older, our bones weaken making us more prone to fractures.

The reporter continues by stating, “To maintain or even strengthen your bones, it helps to load the skeleton with enough force…”

“And, jumping around appears to provide this force.” ([source](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/09/14/jumping-bone-density-exercise/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzU3OTA4ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzU5MjkxMTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NTc5MDg4MDAsImp0aSI6IjkyYzI4ZjEzLWM1NTMtNDYxOC05ZDdkLTU3ODY5MmIxZDA3OSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93ZWxsbmVzcy8yMDI1LzA5LzE0L2p1bXBpbmctYm9uZS1kZW5zaXR5LWV4ZXJjaXNlLyJ9.zWCOxKEkbg1lzZ-KUYTNR14Gq29HMV6-L62IxZAAJXs))

## The Benefits of Jumping

Bones get weaker without weight-bearing activity.  

NASA indicates astronauts lose 1 - 1.5% of their bone density for every month they are in space. ([source](https://www.nasa.gov/reference/risk-of-spaceflight-induced-bone-changes/))

Conversely, bones get stronger with impact activities – like walking, hiking, dancing, running, and jumping.  

Greater impacts, like those experienced when jumping, are particularly effective to stimulate bone strength. ([source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38305252/))  

In a 2023 review of 15 scientific studies, researchers determined that jumping an average of 50 times, repeated four times per week, resulted in mild - moderate improvement in bone density in the femoral neck (part of the thigh bone near the hip). 

This is the area that is most often fractured when someone breaks their hip – something millions of people with osteoporosis, or significant bone weakness, experience each year. ([source](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-006-0172-4), [source](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-006-0172-4)).

Moreover, in a randomized control trial of post-menopausal women with bone weakness (osteopenia), researchers compared the effects of three groups:  

- strengthening exercises (three times per week), 
- jumping exercise (three times per week), and 
- no recommended exercises.  

Six months later, bone strength improved in both the femoral necks (hips) as well as the lumbar spines (lower backs) of the women who had jumped, compared to the others. ([source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23948830/))

But not everyone who wants strong bones can jump repetitively without getting knee pain.

## The Drawbacks to Jumping

The recent article in The Washington Post points out that, “Jumping for impact may not be safe for someone who’s frail or struggling with balance.” ([source](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/09/14/jumping-bone-density-exercise/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzU3OTA4ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzU5MjkxMTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NTc5MDg4MDAsImp0aSI6IjkyYzI4ZjEzLWM1NTMtNDYxOC05ZDdkLTU3ODY5MmIxZDA3OSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93ZWxsbmVzcy8yMDI1LzA5LzE0L2p1bXBpbmctYm9uZS1kZW5zaXR5LWV4ZXJjaXNlLyJ9.zWCOxKEkbg1lzZ-KUYTNR14Gq29HMV6-L62IxZAAJXs)) 

And some people – maybe you’re one of them – cringe at the thought of how their knees will feel if they jump.  

If your [Load Tolerance](https://betterknees.com/blog/is-your-knee-pain-a-sign-of-low-load-tolerance)– the amount of force your knees can absorb without getting pain – is high enough, jumping may support or improve your bone strength.  

However, if jumping is painful for your knees, it’s probably not because your bones are weak.

## The shock-absorbers in your knees

As you walk, your foot contacts the floor or ground with every step you take.  

The force from this contact is known as a ground reaction force . 

Your leg must withstand this force when you walk or hike, run or jump.  

When you jump , you must withstand the force of 3 to 12 times your body weight. ([source](https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jab/1/3/article-p233.xml)) 

When you run , the force varies between 2.51 to 2.62 times your body weight. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11481284/))

Slower speeds will produce lower forces.  

So when you walk , the force from your foot contacting the ground is roughly 1.28 times your bodyweight. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11481284/))

During walking, hiking, running, and jumping, shock absorption is distributed throughout your foot, ankle, knee, and hip.  

Some of the force is applied to your bones.

And inside your knees, there are two structures that absorb these ground reaction forces: synovial fluid and cartilage.  

By improving both your fluid and the surfaces inside your knees, your Load Tolerance improves, allowing your knees to withstand greater forces. (Learn more [here](https://betterknees.com/method).)  

When the inside of your knees are sufficiently strong, jumping becomes more comfortable for your knees.

## If you can’t jump, is bone weakness inevitable?

In a previous article, I outlined an option for people to improve their bones while respecting their knee health:

How to Get Strong Bones without Knee Pain

Successfully strengthening your bones involves two factors.  

#1 Strengthen your weakest link first. 

If you’re getting knee pain as you attempt to strengthen your bones, you need stronger knees.  

The approach I use with my clients is successful because it helps them improve the inside of their knees (synovial fluid and cartilage) before they strengthen the outside of their knees (muscles, tendons, and bones).  Learn more [here](https://betterknees.com/method).  

When your knees are stronger, you’ll be able to better strengthen your bones.

#2 Meet your body where it’s at . (Give your body the force it can handle.) 

If, for example, your knees feel achy or sore after you jump, your knees can’t currently withstand 3 to 12 times your bodyweight.  

But that doesn’t mean you should avoid all weight-bearing activity.  

You may be able to walk (which is roughly 1.28 times your bodyweight) without knee pain. ([source](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00774-004-0514-2))

To achieve less force while walking – if you’re experiencing an increase in knee pain from walking – walk in a pool. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6638929/))  

To achieve more force while walking, carry a backpack or wear a weighted vest. (Read more [here](https://betterknees.com/blog/how-to-get-strong-bones-without-knee-pain).)

Likewise, this approach of respecting your knees’ Load Tolerance for walking may also be applied to jumping.  

If your knees can’t withstand traditional jumping (3 to 12 times your bodyweight), introduce gentler forms of jumping:   

    +  Jumping rope creates less force than running and traditional jumping. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9760008/))

    +  While using a rebounder or mini-trampoline has more of an impact on balance and functional strength, it may also maintain or improve bone strength. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6929928/), [source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6188882/)) 

    +  Jumping in a pool also offers a gentler force than jumping on land. The deeper the water, the more buoyancy is provided, which decreases the ground reaction forces. ([source](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445157/)) 

 

Regardless of what you’re strengthening in your body – your cartilage, your bones, your muscles – you’ll need to find the right amount of force.  

If the forces are too challenging, pain or injury may occur.  

If the forces are too gentle, weakness will persist or worsen.

## Key Takeaways

- Jumping is especially effective for improving bone density , particularly in the hips and spine.
- Many people avoid jumping because of knee pain , not because their bones can’t handle it.
- Your knees can only absorb so much force before pain develops. (This is called Load Tolerance .) 
- Gentler alternatives to traditional jumping like jumping rope, using a rebounder, or jumping in a pool can still benefit bones.
- Start with forces your knees can tolerate (like walking on land or in a pool), and then gradually advance these activities to build both stronger knees and stronger bones.

## Related Articles

- [What Is Load Tolerance? The Missing Link in Solving Knee Pain](/blog/load-tolerance-knee-pain)

For Inside Out Knee Health,

here's  a  [guide](https://enjoystrongerknees.com/)  to get started:

You can access it [here](https://enjoystrongerknees.com/) .

[Learn more about Laurie Kertz Kelly](/about)

Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any health issue or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare professional. The author of this blog and the website do not bear any responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided in this blog.