You've heard jumping is good for your bones. But what if you have a dodgy knee, a hip replacement or another joint issue?
I've had lots of questions recently from women asking whether they can do the jumping and impact exercises I've been showing on Social Media.
Some have had hip or knee replacements. Others have arthritis, old injuries or problems with their spine.
And I completely understand why you're asking.
If you've been told you have osteoporosis, you're probably trying to work out how to challenge your bones without putting yourself at risk of a fracture. If you've also got a joint problem, it can feel like you're being told not to do half the things that might actually help you.
So I wanted to look at what the research says. Not just what people think you should or shouldn't do.
Now don’t get frustrated when I say, the short answer is - it depends on the condition, the type of impact and the individual!
I’m also going to say this area is under researched - as is so much of medical science that affects mostly women (although I do regularly get messages from men as well).
And the evidence is much clearer for some situations than others so let’s look at what there is….
Firstly, what do we actually mean by impact?
Impact ranges from stomping, heel drops, small jumps, hopping and more demanding jumps.. These don't all create the same forces, and they don't carry the same demands on your joints, balance or ability to land safely.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society explains that moderate-impact exercise can benefit bone strength. You don't need to progress to high-impact jumping to get a bone benefit, because there isn't enough evidence that high impact provides additional benefit for everyone. Read their guidance on impact exercise.
But what if you have a joint problem?
1. What if you've had a hip replacement?
Traditionally, people with a total hip replacement have often been advised to avoid high-impact sports. The concern is that repeated high loads could contribute to wear, loosening or failure of the implant.
But does the research support avoiding all impact indefinitely?
A 2024 systematic review looked at 28 studies examining activity restrictions, return to sport and implant outcomes.
People with higher activity levels generally had similar or sometimes better implant survivorship than less active people. However, these were largely observational studies, so they don't prove that high-impact exercise is safe for everyone.
In short : I don’t think a blanket “if you have a hip replacement never do impact” is helpful! But you are going to have to discuss impact with your surgeon or physiotherapist before introducing it.
On last thing when researching this I came across this reel on from an American female Orthopaedic surgeon. She is worth a follow:
2. What about a knee replacement?
The picture is similar.
A review in 2026 examined return to physical activity and sport after total and partial knee replacements. It included 45 studies, covering 14,498 knees.
Overall, around 85% of participants returned to some form of physical activity or sport. However, the studies varied considerably and the researchers rated the certainty of evidence as very low. Most people returned to lower-impact activities and participation in high-impact sports declined.
Read the 2026 systematic review.
It means we don't have strong enough evidence to say that high-impact activity is safe for everyone with a replacement. And a partial knee replacement isn't necessarily the same as a total knee replacement.
In short - if you've had a knee replacement, don't assume that a reel showing me jumping means you should try it yourself. Get advice based on your particular operation and recovery.
3. What if you have arthritis or what you describe as a “busted knee”?
This is a slightly different situation.
Having osteoarthritis doesn't automatically mean you should avoid exercise.
In fact, exercise is one of the main treatments recommended for osteoarthritis.
NICE recommends exercise tailored to the individual. It also acknowledges that pain can increase when you first start exercising, while regular consistent exercise can improve pain, function and quality of life over time.
Read the NICE osteoarthritis guidance
However, the evidence for explosive exercises such as jumps — wasn't conclusive in a recent review.
In other words, there are good reasons to encourage people with osteoarthritis to exercise, but we can't use that evidence to claim that jumping is suitable for everyone with an arthritic knee.
As a PT - I’ve got a number of clients with arthritis and we work on the basis that if the knee is painful, swollen or repeatedly flares up after a certain activity, then we park it for now and review down the line.
There is still plenty of strength training we can do working around this. If things suddenly get worse then I advise getting extra support from a physiotherapist, or their Doctor to check nothing else has changed.
In short - we treat each week as it comes and work with what we’ve got!
4. And what if you have a back injury or spinal fracture?
This needs its own consideration, particularly if you have osteoporosis.
The UK consensus statement Strong, Steady and Straight recommends resistance exercise and impact for bone health, but it makes an important distinction for people who have vertebral fractures or multiple fragility fractures.
For these people, the recommendation is generally to keep impact at a level equivalent to brisk walking, with individualised advice from a physiotherapist.
Read the UK consensus statement.
That doesn't mean everyone with back pain must avoid impact. Back pain has many causes, and an old muscular injury is not the same as a vertebral fracture.
But if you've had a spinal fracture, a significant spinal injury or ongoing symptoms that haven't been assessed, don't start jumping based on general osteoporosis advice. Get specific guidance first.
So, how do you know what level of impact is right for you?
So after all that research! What is the key thing to understand????
That advice on this needs to be tailored specifically to the individual and your starting point depends on your bone health, joint history, strength, balance, symptoms and what you've been cleared to do.
If you have a joint replacement, a significant injury, a spinal fracture or persistent joint pain, speak to the clinician managing your condition before introducing impact.
If you're cleared to exercise but aren't sure where to start, then a physiotherapist or appropriately qualified PT with experience in bone health can help you work out your options.
A little reminder: I'm a Personal Trainer, not a doctor, and I'm sharing this information to help you better understand the research, not to tell you what is right for your individual circumstances.