Jumping may help protect ageing bones and cut fracture risks, with research showing short daily routines can strengthen bone density in adults.
High-impact exercise strengthens bones, which weaken as the body’s rate of bone formation slows with age.
Regular jumping can raise bone density – the level of calcium and other minerals that indicates bone strength and fracture risk.
A study involving 60 women aged 25 to 50 found that doing ten high-impact jumps twice a day for four months increased hip bone density.
Dr Larry Tucker, a professor at Brigham Young University, said: “Our study showed significant benefits over time.
“Women have to do the jumps daily to get the benefits. In addition, keep in mind, as women age it’s more and more difficult to improve bone density.”
Women are particularly at risk as they lose bone mass earlier and faster than men, having smaller, thinner bones.
The hormone oestrogen, which falls sharply after menopause, accelerates this decline, according to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation.
That raises the likelihood of osteoporosis – a disease where bones become fragile enough to fracture from minor knocks or even a cough.
About 10m people in the US live with the condition, more than 8m of them women.
Bone loss, however, affects both sexes, with 44m Americans having low bone density, according to the American Medical Association. Genetics and other health issues also influence how quickly bones weaken.
Lifestyle is described as “pivotal” for bone health by The Ohio State University.
Dr Jackie Buell, a sports dietitian there, highlighted the value of varied nutrition and strength training.
She said: “The nature of the exercise you want to do to help your bones is something that loads the bone, like jumping for the hips or push-ups for the wrists.”
Daily training is not essential. A few dozen jumps done twice weekly could “go a long way in benefiting your bone health throughout your lifespan,” said Pam Bruzina, a professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri.
Improvements to bone density may be seen in as little as six months. Benefits are seen in younger and older adults, though most people reach peak bone mass in their early thirties.
Some caution is needed. Without sufficient muscle strength or if joint pain is present, jumping may risk injury.
Experts advise people with osteoporosis not to jump unsupervised because of the chance of fractures. Several months of resistance training around the hips and spine can help reduce risks.
Not all jumps are equally effective. Options such as explosive back-and-forth or side-to-side movements, or box jumps, bring the most benefit. Jumping rope is less useful, as bone growth depends on maximising landing impact and skeletal stress.
“Any intervention that slows that loss or mitigates it is better than nothing,” said Jocelyn Wittstein, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.
“Any load-bearing activity on your legs is better than being sedentary.”