Weight-bearing exercises: examples for women over 40
Weight-bearing exercise comes up a lot once you hit your 40s, usually in conversations about bone health. But the term is vague. Here is what actually counts, a practical list of examples, and how they fit alongside strength training.
Quick answer
A weight-bearing exercise is any activity where you are on your feet and your body works against gravity to hold itself up. Walking, hiking, stair climbing, dancing, and standing strength moves like squats, lunges, and step-ups all count. Swimming and cycling do not, because the water or the bike carries your weight. For women over 40, a mix of weight-bearing activity and progressive strength training, like the plans in StrongEra, is a practical way to load both muscle and bone through the week.
What counts as weight-bearing exercise
The simple test is whether your feet and legs are holding up your body weight while you move. If they are, the activity is weight-bearing. If something else supports you, like water, a bike seat, or a machine you sit in, it is non-weight-bearing.
Weight-bearing exercise is often split into two groups. High-impact activities involve both feet leaving the ground, like jogging or jumping. Low-impact activities keep at least one foot in contact with the ground, like walking or using an elliptical. Both load your bones, and low-impact options are often easier on the joints.
Strength training, sometimes called resistance or muscle-strengthening exercise, overlaps with this. It means working your muscles against an added load, such as dumbbells, a barbell, bands, or your own body weight. Many standing strength moves are both weight-bearing and resistance exercise at the same time.
Examples of weight-bearing exercises
Low-impact weight-bearing activities:
- Brisk walking, especially on hills.
- Hiking, with or without a light pack.
- Stair climbing or a stair machine.
- Using an elliptical trainer.
- Dancing and low-impact aerobics classes.
- Tai chi.
Higher-impact weight-bearing activities:
- Jogging or running.
- Jumping rope.
- Tennis, pickleball, and other court sports.
- Small hops or jumps, built up gradually.
Standing strength moves that are weight-bearing and add resistance:
- Squats and goblet squats.
- Lunges and split squats.
- Step-ups onto a box or stair.
- Deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts.
- Standing overhead presses.
- Farmer's carries.
- Calf raises.
If you want a short list of strength moves to start with, our guide to six essential strength exercises for women over 40 walks through the basics.
How to fit weight-bearing exercise into your week
The US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days. Weight-bearing cardio like walking or hiking can cover much of the first part, and standing strength sessions cover the second.
A simple week might look like two or three full-body strength sessions, plus brisk walks on most other days. If you are new to strength training, our post on how many days a week to strength train covers how to choose a schedule you can keep.
The bigger lever is progression. Bones and muscles tend to respond to load that gradually increases over time, so walking the same flat route at the same pace for years gives less of a signal than slowly adding hills, weight, or reps. That idea is called progressive overload, and it is what StrongEra's plans are built around.
A note on bone health
Weight-bearing and resistance exercise are often recommended for bone health, which is why they come up so much around perimenopause and menopause. If bone density is your main reason for training, our guide on how to start weight lifting for bone density goes deeper on what the research shows.
If you have osteoporosis, a history of fractures, or joint problems, check with your doctor or a physiotherapist before adding high-impact activities or heavier lifting. They can help you choose options that suit you.
Takeaway
Weight-bearing exercise simply means moving while your body holds up its own weight. Walking, hiking, stairs, and standing strength moves all count, while swimming and cycling do not. A mix of regular walking and two or three progressive strength sessions a week is a practical place to start, and StrongEra can handle the strength side with plans that build over time.
Please note: StrongEra provides general fitness information only. It is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program.
Frequently asked questions
What are weight-bearing exercises?
Weight-bearing exercises are activities where you are on your feet and your bones and muscles work against gravity to support your body weight. Walking, hiking, stair climbing, dancing, and standing strength moves like squats and lunges are common examples.
Is walking a weight-bearing exercise?
Yes. Walking is a low-impact weight-bearing exercise, because your legs and spine support your body weight with every step. Brisk walking, hills, and stairs add more challenge than walking on flat ground.
Is swimming or cycling weight-bearing?
No. Swimming and cycling are non-weight-bearing, because the water or the bike supports most of your body weight. They are still useful for fitness and joint-friendly cardio, but they put less load through your bones.
Are weight-bearing exercise and strength training the same thing?
Not quite. Weight-bearing exercise means supporting your own body weight on your feet. Strength training, or resistance training, means working your muscles against added resistance like dumbbells, bands, or machines. Many strength moves, like squats, lunges, and deadlifts, are both.