A new study from researchers in China shows that brisk walking or gentle jogging can help protect your bones as you get older. The researchers looked at 124 past clinical trials with 18,429 people who were aged 40 or older. They compared different types of exercise, such as walking, jogging, resistance training, and yoga, to see which ones helped keep bones strong. They used a test called bone mineral density to measure this.

The main reason for weaker bones in older age is that bone density goes down as people get older. Some people even develop a condition called osteoporosis, where bones become very weak and can break easily. The researchers wanted to find out which type of exercise could best slow down this bone loss.

The most important result was that brisk walking and jogging were more effective than other types of exercise at improving bone strength, especially in the lower spine, hip, and top of the thigh bone. The researchers said even small improvements may help stop bone breaks later in life. They also said two or three hours of brisk walking or jogging each week can be helpful.