Training, Nutrition, and Joint Supplements: 7 Tips to Help Keep Your Bones & Joints Strong

You can’t build a house without strong framing. Your bones and joints work the same way — when you run, lift, or roll around in the yard with your kids, they enable you to move and perform how you want. 

For gymgoers, bone and joint health are especially important (and often overlooked). We’ve come a long way since, “don’t deadlift, it’s bad for your back!” But there’s absolutely a right way to train, eat, and supplement for bone health. 

To lead a long, healthy, active lifestyle, you need joints that can go the distance. Getting your joints where you need them to be requires attention to detail under the barbell, commitment in the kitchen, and the right products in your supplement cabinet — products like Physio Flex Pro, which was developed according to leading scientific research and is guaranteed to help you build a steel-forged skeletal system. 

Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.

Training Tips for Bone and Joint Strength

Sarcopenia and osteoporosis — the degradation of muscle and bone tissue — are considered public health risks. (1) 

Moreover, while physical activity prescriptions like walking and swimming have long been touted as effective ways of preserving bone mineral density, modern literature has cast doubt on the idea that low-impact, low-intensity exercise is enough for maintaining healthy bones and joints. (2)(3) 

So, what gives? If you want to strengthen and reinforce your joints long-term, you need to know what actually works and what isn’t worth your time. Here are some helpful tips: 

Work With Weights

Your bones and joints aren’t all that different from your muscles. They react, respond, and adapt to stress like any other tissue in your body. And like skeletal muscle, they can weaken over time if not challenged. Bone and joint health is very much a “use it or lose it” situation. 

What we’re learning now is that controlled weight-bearing exercise may be the best way to create and preserve robust bone and joint stability, particularly in vulnerable populations like the elderly. (1) So, if you want bones strong enough to make Wolverine blush, you’ve got to hit the weight room. 

Lift Frequently

As with any health behavior, the dose makes the poison. If you’re training for bone and joint health, though, you shouldn’t be afraid of hitting the weights on a regular basis. When it comes to ensuring your joints are happy and healthy, there seems to be a minimum effective dose. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends resistance training in some form twice per week, particularly in older populations who are at greater risk of sprains or fractures. (4) 

If you’re younger or middle-aged and you’re pursuing muscle or strength-related goals, you’re probably in the gym more often than that by default, which is just fine. Two weekly sessions (they don’t have to be overly intense, either) is the bar to clear.

Don’t Max Out (Too Often)

For strength athletes, maxing out is a necessary aspect of both training and competition. However, frequently exposing your body to ultra-heavy loads doesn’t necessarily help you strengthen your bones and joints and, in some cases, could even be a detriment. 

Studies on powerlifters show that the closer you get to your true one-rep-max, the likelier you are to compromise your form. (5) This can shift the resistance away from your working muscles and put too much strain on potentially-vulnerable joints, tendons, or ligaments. 

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t challenge yourself, of course. But you can certainly strengthen your bones and joints without taking things to the brink. A moderately-challenging weight that you can work with for anywhere from eight to 12 repetitions should be more than enough. (1)

The Best Exercises for Bone and Joint Strength

There is no single “best” exercise for improving your joint strength from head to toe (imagine how much time you’d save if there was!). Certain movements are more valuable than others, though, especially with respect to safety, efficacy, and efficiency. 

If you want to prioritize bone and joint integrity, you should generally look towards compound, multi-joint movements that work through a large range of motion and that you can safely load over time. Here are a few examples: 

Squat

Squatting is about as close to an all-in-one movement as you can get. No matter what type of weight you work with, squatting trains almost all of the muscles in your body to some degree — though it primarily trains the leg muscles.

You can strengthen your hips, knees, and ankles with the barbell back squat or hack squat machine. To get your shoulders involved as well, go for the front squat, goblet squat, or even the overhead squat. 

Overhead Press

Your shoulders are extremely mobile, which means you have to train them in a variety of ways to build comprehensive strength and stability. The ability to extend your arm over your head against resistance is crucial. 

To emphasize pure shoulder strength above all, you should work with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. If stability-focused training is your jam, a kettlebell held upside down will really test your scapular control. 

Deadlift

Deadlifts are commonly regarded as the “ultimate” resistance training exercise. They’re adored for their simplicity and brutality — either you can pick the weight up off the floor, or you can’t.

While deadlifts are all well and good as a heavy-duty strength movement, you can also use them to strengthen your spine (and hips, and shoulders, and…) by perfecting the hinge motion and emphasizing the lowering portion of each rep. 

Try out a variety of different implements to see what works best for you. The trap bar is great for beginners, while dumbbells or kettlebells offer an extended range of motion when compared to the barbell. 

Row

Upper-body “pulling” exercises like rows are one of the best ways to strengthen your shoulders and elbows while building muscle tissue at the same time. If you want healthy shoulders that can go the distance, you need to be able to retract them against resistance. 

You can row just about anything. Performing a bent-over row with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells are great options that also include some extra isometric stimulation for your hips and lumbar spine as well. If you don’t have access to gym equipment, you can row a water jug or a backpack filled with books. 

Bench Press

Think of bench pressing as the opposite of rowing. The two movement patterns involve the same joints, just in reverse and with opposing muscles. Proper pressing technique will strengthen your wrists, elbows, and shoulders, as well as build up your chest and triceps. 

If you want to emphasize bone and joint integrity, press with two independent weights (such as dumbbells or kettlebells). A barbell works just fine, but doesn’t require as much joint stability overall. 

How to Eat for Stronger Bones and Joints

Your training matters, but it’s only half of the puzzle. Proper nutrition, when paired with smart resistance training choices, can help guarantee that your bones and joints are as strong and resilient as possible. Here’s what you need to know. 

Go Hard on Protein

You might be able to adjust your body weight and gain or lose muscle and fat according to how many calories you eat, but joint health depends more on the quality of your nutrition than the quantity. 

Specifically, how much protein you eat can make a tremendous difference. Despite some persistent misinformation, a high-protein diet isn’t bad for your bones, joints, or kidneys. (6) On the contrary, eating extra protein may be especially beneficial for reducing fractures or preventing bone-mineral density losses. (7)

How much protein, exactly? Well, it varies by your body weight and physical activity levels. If you engage with resistance training (which you should, if you want to strengthen your joints), you should probably aim for about 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. (8)

Get More Fruits and Vegetables

It may be obvious, but it bears repeating — fruit and vegetables are great for you. Hearty greens are often touted for their broad-spectrum health benefits, but eating more of them can do a lot for your joints as well. 

One meta-analysis involving data collected from thousands of participants showed that greater intakes of fruits and vegetables were “associated with higher bone-mineral densities and a lower presence of osteoporosis.” (9)

Drink More Water

Inadequate hydration can precipitate a whole host of health and performance issues. Your joints are lubricated and maintained by synovial fluid, which is composed mainly of water. (10) If you struggle to drink enough water on a daily basis, you may increase friction within your joint capsules. 

The amount of water you should drink on a daily basis varies tremendously, especially if you sweat a lot when you exercise or live in a hot climate. That said, around half a gallon a day is a solid benchmark to shoot for. 

The Best Supplements for Bone and Joint Health

If you’ve got your nutritional bases covered and employ all the correct exercises in the weight room, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little extra edge in your quest for bulletproof joints. The right supplements can make a noticeable difference. Here are some products worth trying:

Physio Flex Pro

What if one single product delivered everything you need to strengthen your joints? The right ingredients in the proper quantities can help you feel better, move faster, and train harder. Physio Flex Pro combines eight science-backed ingredients to ensure you hit those marks and then some.

Top-Tier Ingredients

From ginger extract to bromelain to chondroitin and more, Physio Flex Pro is uniquely formulated to lubricate your joints and facilitate strong bones. What’s more, all of the ingredients are naturally-sourced and optimized for bioavailability. 

Here are just a few of the active ingredients in Physio Flex Pro that make it the product to beat for joint health: 

• Glucosamine HCl: Studies show that glucosamine is effective at managing joint stiffness and other osteoarthritic symptoms. (11)
• Bromelain: Bromelain is observed to have a variety of beneficial health effects and may be particularly potent as an anti-inflammatory. (12)
• Ginger Extract: Research shows that ginger is effective at managing a variety of inflammatory and gastrointestinal symptoms. (13)
• Methylsulfonylmethane: Commonly known as MSM, this organic compound can positively affect joint pain and chronic discomfort. (14)
• Bioperine: This compound has been repeatedly shown to enhance bioavailability of nutrients, helping you get more out of your food and supplements. (15)

There may not be a more comprehensive single supplement on the market today. Physio Flex Pro can’t be beat for the price and you’d be hard-pressed to find an alternative with such a strong commitment to quality. 

Physio Flex Pro can help you move like you used to and ensure that your best days of physical activity lie in front of you. 

Vitamin D

Exposure to sunlight is crucial for regulating your circadian rhythm and helping you get enough vitamin D. However, it isn’t always practical to get outside, particularly in the winter months when the weather isn’t cooperating. 

Hundreds of studies corroborate the benefits and relevance of vitamin D supplementation for bone health. Specifically, that of bone mineral density and harm reduction risk relating to falls and fractures. (16) A vitamin D supplement might be a wise pickup, especially if you don’t get much organic exposure from the sun. 

Omega-3 

Omega-3 supplementation might be the single most important form of auxiliary nutrition you can buy. Not only do omega-3 fatty acids provide all sorts of health benefits ranging from cardiovascular improvements and better cognition, (17) but their effects on bone and joint health have also been widely documented. 

In fact, omega-3 supplementation (especially when combined with high calcium intake or fortified dairy products) consistently results in “statistically significant positive effects on bone-related outcomes in diverse individuals.” (18)

Collagen

Collagen is a protein that makes up a large portion of the physical structure of your skin, muscles and, of course, your bones and associated connective tissues. Insufficient amounts of collagen can cause these structures to become brittle over time. 

You may be able to remedy or prevent this with a collagen hydrolysate supplement. Some literature has shown a marked improvement in bone and connective tissue integrity, and most research indicates that collagen is safe to consume long-term as a therapeutic agent. (19)(20)

To the Bone

Caring about your health and performance means more than just measuring muscles or 1-rep-maxes. Your skeletal system, quite literally, enables you to do all the things you love both in and out of the gym. You should show your bones and joints the same care and attention you give to your workout program and diet. 

If you’re training and eating properly, you have nothing to lose — and everything to gain — by picking up a well-designed bone and joint supplement like Physio Flex Pro. 

References

1. Abimanyi-Ochom, J., Watts, J. J., Borgström, F., Nicholson, G. C., Shore-Lorenti, C., Stuart, A. L., Zhang, Y., Iuliano, S., Seeman, E., Prince, R., March, L., Cross, M., Winzenberg, T., Laslett, L. L., Duque, G., Ebeling, P. R., & Sanders, K. M. (2015). Changes in quality of life associated with fragility fractures: Australian arm of the International Cost and Utility Related to Osteoporotic Fractures Study (AusICUROS). Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 26(6), 1781–1790. 
2. Martyn-St James, M., & Carroll, S. (2008). Meta-analysis of walking for preservation of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Bone, 43(3), 521–531. 
3. Taaffe, D. R., Snow-Harter, C., Connolly, D. A., Robinson, T. L., Brown, M. D., & Marcus, R. (1995). Differential effects of swimming versus weight-bearing activity on bone mineral status of eumenorrheic athletes. Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 10(4), 586–593. 
4. World Health Organization, T. (2010). Global recommendations on physical activity for health. World Health Organization.
5. Spencer, Kirsten & Croiss, Mathew. (2015). The effect of increasing loading on powerlifting movement form during the squat and deadlift. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. 10. 10.14198/jhse.2015.103.02. 
6. Phillips, S. M., Chevalier, S., & Leidy, H. J. (2016). Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 41(5), 565–572. 
7. Wallace, T. C., & Frankenfeld, C. L. (2017). Dietary Protein Intake above the Current RDA and Bone Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 36(6), 481–496. 
8. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. 
9. Qiu, R., Cao, W. T., Tian, H. Y., He, J., Chen, G. D., & Chen, Y. M. (2017). Greater Intake of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated with Greater Bone Mineral Density and Lower Osteoporosis Risk in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults. PloS one, 12(1), e0168906. 
10. Bełdowski, P., Mazurkiewicz, A., Topoliński, T., & Małek, T. (2019). Hydrogen and Water Bonding between Glycosaminoglycans and Phospholipids in the Synovial Fluid: Molecular Dynamics Study. Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 12(13), 2060. 
11. Zhu, X., Sang, L., Wu, D., Rong, J., & Jiang, L. (2018). Effectiveness and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin for the treatment of osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 13(1), 170. 
12. Hikisz, P., & Bernasinska-Slomczewska, J. (2021). Beneficial Properties of Bromelain. Nutrients, 13(12), 4313. 
13. Žitek, T., Bjelić, D., Kotnik, P., Golle, A., Jurgec, S., Potočnik, U., Knez, Ž., Finšgar, M., Krajnc, I., Krajnc, I., & Marevci, M. K. (2022). Natural Hemp-Ginger Extract and Its Biological and Therapeutic Efficacy. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27(22), 7694. 
14. Butawan, M., Benjamin, R. L., & Bloomer, R. J. (2017). Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement. Nutrients, 9(3), 290.
15. Fernández-Lázaro, D., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Córdova Martínez, A., & Seco-Calvo, J. (2020). Iron and Physical Activity: Bioavailability Enhancers, Properties of Black Pepper (Bioperine®) and Potential Applications. Nutrients, 12(6), 1886.
16. Cranney, A., Horsley, T., O’Donnell, S., Weiler, H., Puil, L., Ooi, D., Atkinson, S., Ward, L., Moher, D., Hanley, D., Fang, M., Yazdi, F., Garritty, C., Sampson, M., Barrowman, N., Tsertsvadze, A., & Mamaladze, V. (2007). Effectiveness and safety of vitamin D in relation to bone health. Evidence report/technology assessment, (158), 1–235.
17. Swanson, D., Block, R., & Mousa, S. A. (2012). Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 3(1), 1–7. 
18. Orchard, T. S., Pan, X., Cheek, F., Ing, S. W., & Jackson, R. D. (2012). A systematic review of omega-3 fatty acids and osteoporosis. The British journal of nutrition, 107 Suppl 2(0 2), S253–S260.
19. Moskowitz R. W. (2000). Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism, 30(2), 87–99. 
20. Bello, A. E., & Oesser, S. (2006). Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. Current medical research and opinion, 22(11), 2221–2232. 

Featured Image courtesy of Physio Flex Pro