I am a 61-year-old woman with osteoporosis; my bone density is 80% of what it should be. I have bought a pedometer. How many steps a day should I aim for? I do yoga and Pilates.

My answer depends slightly on where you have osteoporosis, because it is bone-specific. While your bone density is less than it should be, the good news is you can maintain your existing bone density, and some studies have shown improvements.

Since bone is living tissue, it is not so much a question of how far you are walking, but how much impact you are applying to your bones with each foot strike. Bone will respond when a significant force is applied to it. Accumulate your steps at a brisk pace, on a hard surface, walking both up and down stairs – this will increase the force you apply directly through your muscles to the bone.

Accumulating your ideal 10,000 steps a day at a casual pace will do little to provide sufficient impact to stimulate bone tissue. For a progressive plan, first establish your base line of daily accumulated steps (measure steps over three days, one day at the weekend, to find your average). Increase this by 10% each week. If you are currently not walking at a brisk pace or on a hard surface, think of these additional daily step targets as your bone-building impact steps.

Repeat until you are walking 8,000-10,000 steps a day. After four weeks, try to stimulate further bone-building by introducing at least 10 minutes of brisk-paced walking on hard surfaces, and up and down stairs.

For a whole-body bone benefit, ask your yoga and Pilates instructors progressively to increase the weight your upper body has to support. This can be achieved in yoga by supporting more of your body weight through your upper body, or performing postures where possible from a standing position, rather than seated.

Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall.com). Send your exercise questions to Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER ([email protected]).

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