The 3.6x Body Weight Exercise That Rebuilds Bone Density—Without the Injury Risk

Heel drops are a weight-bearing impact exercise that creates the type of mechanical stress your bones need to stay strong and rebuild density. Unlike gentle exercises like walking (which delivers 1.2 times your body weight in force), heel drops generate approximately 3.6 times your body weight in force through your bones—exactly the stimulus your skeletal system needs to maintain and even improve bone density.

Why Do Your Bones Need Impact Exercise?

Here's the fundamental truth about bone health: your bones respond to stress by getting stronger. Without that stress, they weaken. This principle, known as Wolff's Law, explains why people with osteoporosis are often told to exercise—but not just any exercise will do.

When you perform heel drops, you're creating what researchers call "osteogenic loading"—the specific type of mechanical stress that triggers your body to build more bone tissue. The landmark LIFTMOR study demonstrated that high-intensity resistance and impact training significantly improved bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis. Participants who performed supervised impact exercises like heel drops showed a 2.9% improvement in lumbar spine bone density and a 0.3% improvement in femoral neck bone density, with substantial improvements in physical function. Importantly, the study found these exercises were safe when properly supervised—no participants experienced fractures related to the exercise program.

How Do Heel Drops Compare to Other Exercises?

The force your bones experience varies dramatically depending on the type of exercise you choose. Here's how common activities stack up:

• Walking: Delivers 1.2 times your body weight in force through your bones
• Marching in place: Delivers 1.5 times your body weight in force
• Heel drops: Delivers 3.6 times your body weight in force
• Vertical jump: Delivers 4.7 times your body weight in force

Heel drops hit the sweet spot—they provide significant bone-building stimulus without the high injury risk of jumping exercises, making them ideal for individuals with low bone density.

What's the Proper Technique for Heel Drops?

Performing heel drops correctly is essential to getting the bone-building benefit. The exercise involves three distinct phases: the starting position, the rise, and the drop.

Starting Position: Stand near a wall or sturdy surface for balance support. Keep your feet hip-width apart and maintain upright posture with your shoulders back.

The Rise: Push up onto your toes and balls of your feet, rising as high as comfortable while keeping your core engaged.

The Drop: Allow your heels to drop quickly to the ground and land with your full foot flat. The impact should feel controlled but definite—you should hear the sound of your heels hitting the floor.

Recovery: Pause briefly and repeat for your prescribed repetitions.

One critical mistake people make is lowering their heels gently instead of creating impact. If you're not hearing an audible "thump" when your heels hit the ground, you're missing the bone-building benefit. Another common error is leaning forward or rounding your shoulders, which shifts the force away from your spine and hips—the areas that most need strengthening.

How Should You Progress With Heel Drops?

Your bones need time to adapt to new stress. The principle of progressive overload means you should gradually increase the challenge rather than jumping into 100 heel drops daily, which can lead to stress injuries rather than bone strength.

A typical progression looks like this:

• Beginner Level: 10 repetitions, 2 sets, 3 times per week with wall support as needed
• Intermediate Level: 15-20 repetitions, 2-3 sets, 3-4 times per week with reduced wall support
• Advanced Level: 20-30 repetitions, 3 sets, 4-5 times per week with the option to add single-leg variations under supervision

One of the key principles of bone health is reversibility—gains are lost when you stop exercising. Consistency matters more than intensity.

Who Should Be Cautious With Heel Drops?

While heel drops are generally safe, certain conditions require caution or professional guidance. Before starting any new exercise program for osteoporosis, consult with a physical therapist or your physician, especially if you have a T-score below -2.5, a history of fractures, or balance concerns.

You should modify or avoid heel drops if you have severe osteoporosis (T-score below -3.0) without professional supervision, recent fractures within the past 3-6 months, significant balance problems or fall risk, active foot or ankle injuries like plantar fasciitis, or uncontrolled osteoporosis in combination with other risk factors.

Are Heel Drops Enough on Their Own?

Heel drops alone won't reverse osteoporosis. They're one piece of a larger puzzle that includes building muscle strength, particularly in your legs, back, and core, which provides the foundation for bone health and reduces fall risk. Exercises that increase bone density in the spine are particularly important for reducing fracture risk.

Your comprehensive bone health program should also include adequate nutrition—calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and adequate protein support the bone-building process that exercise initiates. Preventing falls is just as important as building bone density.

The challenge with osteoporosis is finding the balance between safety and effectiveness. Too cautious, and you won't build bone. Too aggressive, and you risk injury. Working with physical therapists who specialize in bone health makes a difference—they can assess your specific risk factors, design a progressive program that's challenging but safe, teach proper technique to maximize benefit and minimize risk, monitor your progress, and address concurrent issues like balance problems or muscle weakness.