Is Cycling Good for Bone Density During Perimenopause?
Perimenopause accelerates bone loss. Find out whether cycling protects your bones and what you can add to your routine for stronger skeletal health.
Why Bone Density Becomes a Priority in Perimenopause
Oestrogen plays a critical protective role in bone metabolism. It slows the activity of osteoclasts, the cells responsible for breaking down old bone tissue, while supporting the work of osteoblasts that build new bone. As oestrogen levels begin their perimenopausal decline, this balance tips, and bone resorption accelerates. Research shows that women can lose up to 10 percent of their total bone mass in the five to seven years surrounding the menopause transition. This is the window during which the habits you build matter most. Osteoporosis develops silently over decades, and by the time fractures occur, significant bone loss has already taken place. Understanding this timeline motivates many women to take a proactive approach to skeletal health during perimenopause rather than waiting until problems arise.
The Honest Answer: Cycling Is Not Enough on Its Own
Cycling is an outstanding cardiovascular exercise with many benefits for perimenopausal women, but it has a specific limitation when it comes to bone density. Bone responds to mechanical loading, meaning the skeleton needs to be put under stress through impact or resistance to stimulate the bone-forming process. Cycling is a non-weight-bearing exercise. Sitting on a saddle removes much of the gravitational load that your legs and spine would otherwise carry. Studies comparing cyclists to runners and to sedentary individuals have found that competitive cyclists sometimes have surprisingly low bone density, particularly in the spine and hips. This does not mean cycling is harmful to bones, but it does mean that cycling alone is unlikely to build bone density and may not fully compensate for the bone loss that accelerates during perimenopause.
What Cycling Does Contribute to Bone Health
While cycling does not directly stimulate bone formation through impact loading, it contributes to bone health in indirect but meaningful ways. Strong leg muscles, developed through regular cycling, help stabilise joints and reduce the risk of falls, which matter enormously because fall-related fractures are a major consequence of age-related bone thinning. Cycling also improves balance and neuromuscular coordination, particularly when done outdoors on varied terrain. These gains translate into better fall prevention even if bone mineral density itself does not increase. Additionally, the cardiovascular benefits of cycling support overall health and reduce the systemic inflammation that can accelerate bone loss. Think of cycling as one important component in a multi-strategy approach to skeletal health rather than a standalone solution.
What to Add Alongside Cycling for Real Bone Benefits
The most effective way to protect bone density during perimenopause is to combine cycling with weight-bearing and resistance exercise. Walking, jogging, hiking, and dancing all provide the mechanical loading stimulus that cycling cannot. Strength training, particularly exercises that load the spine and hips such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges, is among the most powerful tools available for stimulating bone formation and slowing resorption. Many women find that two or three strength sessions per week alongside their cycling routine provides a strong combined benefit. Jumping exercises, like skipping or plyometric moves, also create brief but significant bone loading signals. These do not need to be lengthy or intense. Even ten minutes of targeted weight-bearing exercise added to a cycling week begins to make a difference over months.
Nutrition for Bone Health During Perimenopause
Exercise and nutrition work together when it comes to bone density. Calcium remains the most recognised bone nutrient, with perimenopausal women needing around 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day from dietary sources such as dairy, fortified plant milks, almonds, sardines, and leafy greens. Vitamin D is equally important because it governs how efficiently calcium is absorbed in the gut. Many women in perimenopause are deficient in vitamin D, especially if they spend limited time outdoors. A daily supplement of 1,000 to 2,000 IU is often recommended, though your GP can advise based on a blood test. Magnesium, vitamin K2, and adequate protein also support bone matrix quality. Limiting alcohol and avoiding smoking are additional dietary steps that help preserve bone density during this vulnerable period.
Should You Get a DEXA Scan?
If you are concerned about your bone density, a DEXA scan provides the clearest picture of where you stand. These scans are widely available and measure bone mineral density at the hip and spine, the two sites most clinically significant for fracture risk. In the UK, DEXA scans are typically offered to women with specific risk factors such as early menopause, low body weight, a family history of osteoporosis, or prolonged steroid use. Many GPs will refer you if you raise your concerns. Knowing your baseline bone density in perimenopause allows you to track changes over time and make evidence-based decisions about exercise, nutrition, and medical interventions including HRT, which has well-established benefits for bone preservation.
Building a Bone-Protective Routine That Includes Cycling
The good news is that combining cycling with complementary strategies creates a genuinely powerful bone-protective routine. Cycling three to four times per week builds cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength in the lower body, and fall-prevention skills. Adding two strength training sessions per week targets bone loading directly. Walking on rest days keeps you active without high impact. Getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein through food and supplementation gives your bones the raw materials they need. If you are in early perimenopause, speaking with a GP or menopause specialist about whether HRT is appropriate for you is also worthwhile, as it remains one of the most effective tools for slowing perimenopausal bone loss. Together, these steps give your skeleton a much stronger foundation for the decades ahead.
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