9 Science-Backed Ways To Support Your Bone Health Before Your Next DEXA Scan

If you have a DEXA scan on the calendar, or you've recently gotten results back that weren't what you were hoping for, it's normal to wonder how much you can really change before the next one. Quite a lot, as it turns out, because your bones are living tissue that rebuilds itself over and over in response to how you use them, and that process keeps working well into midlife and beyond.

That's why we designed the YVO Warrior Vest to be your bone boosting companion. When you add weight to upright, weight-bearing movement like walking, stair climbing, and squats, your bones pick up on the extra demand and respond by holding onto density.

Research suggests this pays off over time. In a five year study, postmenopausal women who exercised in weighted vests kept their hip bone density while women who didn't wear one lost 3-4%. Another study found that older women who wore a vest during walking, stair climbing, and strength work improved bone density at the femoral neck, which is one of the most fracture prone spots in the hip.

We'll be honest with you about the limits, too. A vest does very little on its own if you only wear it around the house, and the studies showing the most benefit to bones use vests during exercise, with the load increasing gradually as women get stronger.

Every YVO Warrior Vest comes with a free DEXA scan through BodySpec so you can see where your bones stand today and watch how they respond to the work you put in.

Here are nine science backed habits you can start building before your next scan. None of them come with a promise about the number on your report, and we're not going to pretend otherwise, but every one is grounded in research and every one is something you can start this week.

1. Lift heavy enough to challenge your bones

Bone responds to force. When a muscle pulls hard on the bone it's attached to, or your foot strikes the ground with some weight to it, it sends a (good) stress signal to your body to build new bone tissue right where it's being worked.

Progressive resistance training, which means lifting weights and increasing them as you get stronger, has the strongest research support of any non-drug approach. A 2025 review of 17 randomized trials found that postmenopausal women who lifted weights about three times a week, using loads heavy enough that the last few reps felt hard, increased bone density in the lower spine, hip, and top of the thigh bone (femoral neck).

“Heavy” worries a lot of women, so let's define it. You want a weight where the last two or three repetitions feel hard while still maintaining good form. Squats, deadlifts or hip hinges, step-ups, rows, and presses all load the hips and spine, which is where fractures do the most damage.

2. Add a little impact

Impact adds a second kind of stimulus, because quick, ground-striking movements create a sudden spike in force that bone reads as a signal to strengthen. One well-known trial combined heavy lifting with impact training in women who already had low bone density, and over eight months the training group increased spine density by about 2.9% while the comparison group lost bone.

You don't have to start with box jumps if they feel a bit intimidating right now. You can try heel drops, hopping in place, or jogging up a flight of stairs instead. If you have osteoporosis, a history of spinal fractures, or joint pain that flares with jumping, talk to your clinician before adding impact work.

3. Add weight to the walking you already do

Walking on its own tends to slow bone loss rather than build new bone, which is why adding a weighted vest is so smart. Adding load increases the force traveling through your hips and spine with every step. An eight-week trial in women with low bone density found improvements in T-score and leg bone density when they exercised in a vest, compared with the same exercise done without one.

There is one important catch, though: just wearing a vest likely isn't enough to preserve bone on its own. In a large 12-month trial, older adults who wore a weighted vest for about 8 hours a day while losing weight did not preserve more bone at the hip than those who didn't wear one. The studies showing improved bone density had people wear the vest while walking, climbing stairs, or doing strength exercises, and gradually added more weight as participants got stronger. So adding weight is key.

Most research on vest walking uses loads between about 4% and 10% of body weight. The YVO Warrior Vest holds up to 20 lb using eight modular 2.5 lb pouches, so you can start at a load that feels stable and add weight in small steps (remember, progression is key!).

Getting the fit right takes about five minutes and makes sure you're actually comfortable so the vest will live on you instead of in your closet.

4. Eat enough protein to build the frame

Bone is not solid mineral, it's mostly a flexible protein framework, primarily made of collagen, with calcium and other minerals packed into and around it. Without enough protein coming in, your body has less raw material to build that frame.

A review of multiple studies found that older adults who ate more than the standard recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day had about an 11% lower risk of breaking a hip. The review also found small improvements in bone density at the hip and the femoral neck, the narrow part of the thigh bone just below the hip joint.

Most women in midlife do best getting 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. For a woman who weighs 150 pounds, that's about 80 to 110 grams of protein daily. Instead of eating most of it at dinner, aim for 25 to 35 grams at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That could look like Greek yogurt or eggs in the morning, chicken or beans at lunch, and fish, tofu, or lean beef at dinner.

The old worry that eating more protein pulls calcium out of your bones hasn't held up in newer research. Recent reviews found that when people get enough calcium, eating more protein is linked to stronger bones, not weaker ones.

5. Cover your calcium and vitamin D, food first

Calcium is the mineral your body deposits into bone, and vitamin D is what lets you absorb it. If your levels are low for either, the rest of your efforts will be less effective.

Taking calcium and vitamin D is a good start, but you'll get better results when you also lift weights or do other strength exercises. A 2025 review found this combo improved bone density in the lower spine and hip more than supplements alone. Calcium and vitamin D have the most evidence behind them. Vitamin K2, magnesium, and collagen may help, but the research isn't as strong yet.

Build your meals around foods that naturally provide calcium. Fill your cart with Greek yogurt, milk, calcium fortified soy or oat milk, canned salmon or sardines with the bones,  tofu set with calcium, white beans, kale, and bok choy.

Vitamin D is harder to get from food. If you live in a northern climate, your levels may be low, especially during winter. Before you buy a supplement, ask your clinician for a blood test. The right dose depends on where your vitamin D levels sit.

6. Protect your sleep

Your skeleton gets busy while you sleep, doing most of its rebuilding. In a study of more than 11,000 postmenopausal women, those who slept five hours or less a night had lower bone density at every site measured, including the hip and spine, compared with women sleeping seven hours. It's an observational finding, so it can't prove sleep caused the difference, but it lines up with what we know about how bone remodels.

7. Rethink your drinks

With alcohol, the amount matters more than the habit itself. A dose-response analysis found hip fracture risk started climbing at around three standard drinks a day, while light drinking showed no such signal.

Aim for about seven hours of sleep, keep alcohol moderate, and skip smoking, which is one of the most consistently damaging habits for bone.

8. Train your balance

A dense bone can still break if you land on it hard, so fall prevention belongs in any bone plan. Studies show that exercise programs for older adults reduce falls, and osteoporosis guidelines recommend combining strength training with balance exercises instead of only lifting weights.

You don't need a long drawn out balance workout, though, Try standing on one leg while you brush your teeth, or walking heel-to-toe down the hallway, and go without using the handrail when it's safe to do so. The more often you challenge your balance, the better your body gets at catching itself before you fall.

There's another finding worth knowing. In a follow-up analysis of that large vest trial, people who spent more of their day upright and moving showed a stronger relationship between vest use and hip bone density than people who sat most of the day. The vest does its best work when you're on your feet in it.

9. Spend more time on your feet

Your bones only respond when they feel load, which is one reason sitting for long stretches works against you. In a follow-up analysis of a large weighted vest study, people who spent more of the day standing and moving had a stronger link between vest use and higher hip bone density than people who spent most of the day sitting. In other words, the vest helped most when people were upright.

Walk while you take phone calls, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and get up every hour and move for a few minutes to add active minutes to your day without needing to carve out a chunk of time. If you use a weighted vest, wear it while you're walking or doing other weight bearing activities instead of while you're sitting.

Start where you are, and stay with it

The one thing every study here has in common is time. Bone remodels slowly, and most trials last six months to a year before any changes show up on a scan. Research also shows gains fade within months once training stops, so consistency is your best friend here, even more than intensity.

Try starting one habit this week, and add another one when the first feels automatic. By the time your next DEXA scan comes around, you'll have given your bones months of repeated reasons to hold on.

Carry power!

FAQs

Can you regain bone density after menopause?

In some cases yes, and you can almost always slow the rate of loss. Progressive resistance training shows modest gains at the spine, femoral neck, and hip, especially in programs that run at least six months. Results vary from woman to woman, and no program can promise a specific change on a scan. Holding onto the bone you have is a real win.

How long does it take to increase bone density?

Most trials measure change at six months to a year, and the studies with the most consistent results ran close to a year or longer. Bone remodeling is slow by design, so give any new routine several months before you judge it.

Is walking enough for bone health?

Walking is excellent for your heart, mood, and joints, and it helps slow bone loss. On its own, though, it usually doesn't create enough force to build new bone. Adding a weighted vest, hills, stairs, or a couple of strength sessions a week gives your skeleton the stimulus it's looking for.

What is the fastest way to increase bone density?

There's no fast route, and anything promising you fast changes deserves a hard look. The strongest evidence shows a combo of progressive resistance training with impact or weight bearing loading, supported by enough protein, calcium, and vitamin D in your diet.

How can I improve bone density in my spine and hips?

Those sites respond to loading that travels through them. Squats, deadlifts and hip hinges, step-ups, stair climbing, and weighted walking all send force through the spine and femoral neck. Bone adapts where it's loaded, so the exercises you choose determine which areas respond.

Does hormone therapy protect bone?

Estrogen loss during menopause is a major driver of bone loss, and hormone therapy is recognized as one factor influencing bone health. It's a prescription decision that depends on your full medical history, so it belongs in a conversation with your doctor rather than on a checklist. The habits in this article support your bones either way.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise routine.