Squat exercise

The squat is one of the most practical strength exercises for midlife and older adults because it mirrors a move you already do every day: sitting down and standing up. A bodyweight squat trains the large muscles of the legs and hips—quads, glutes, and hamstrings—while also challenging balance and core control. As strength improves, people often progress to holding weights (like dumbbells or a barbell) to continue building muscle and bone-loading stimulus over time.

From a bone perspective, squats are a form of weight-bearing and resistance exercise. Muscles pull on bone as they contract, and your legs and spine bear your body weight through the movement, both of which provide mechanical loading that bone responds to through normal remodeling. This is different from pure cardio like walking, which loads bone mostly through impact rather than muscle pull.

Squats also build functional strength that supports balance and lowers fall risk, which matters as much as bone density itself when it comes to avoiding fractures. People with vertebral compression fractures, significant osteoporosis, or joint problems should get individualized guidance from a physical therapist or doctor on safe squat depth, form, and loading, since poor technique or going too heavy too soon can cause injury rather than benefit.