By Lauren Keating
Walking is one of the basic, beginner-friendly, accessible forms of low-impact exercise suitable for all ages. But now there is a growing number of fitness enthusiasts who are kicking things up a gear to transform simple strolls into a full-body workout with the latest fitness trend: Weighted Vests.
After lacing up their sneakers, people across the U.S. are strapping on a weighted vest as they walk through the neighborhood, parks, or even just around the house while doing chores to increase calorie burn, improve posture, and even enhance cardiovascular conditioning.
“Depending on your goal, a weighted vest can be for anyone,” Brooke Miller, PT, DPT, OCS, owner of Peak RX in Texas, said. “They are a good tool to have in your toolbox to increase demand for walking, jumping, and potentially strength training.”
Built with extra weight into it, these vests are worn over clothes similarly to carrying a backpack. The added weight is distributed evenly across the torso. People are using weighted vests during simple exercises—such as walking, jogging, bodyweight workouts, or climbing stairs-- with the goal to make these activities more challenging.
More popularly used this past summer and current fall, wearing a weighted vest isn’t a new concept in the fitness space. Soldiers marched with heavy packs to transport gear, food, water, and weapons across long distances for centuries. Known as “rucking,” carrying heavy loads are used for both training and necessity in both the military. It is even common in law enforcement training. Rucking, or walking or hiking with a weighted backpack, has also been adapted by athletes to build endurance, strength, and resilience.
Weighted vests are now making their way into the mainstream, a rising trend for walkers, runners, and gym-lovers looking for an added challenge. But could wearing one come at a cost to our health, or do the health benefits outweigh the risks?
Heavier, Healthier, Stronger:
The Health Benefits of Weighted Vests
Adding a weighted vest when exercising has been linked to increasing cardiovascular health, improving balance and mobility in older adults, and boosting metabolism.
“The biggest benefit and reason for wearing a weighted vest is to add more load for greater impact,” Miller said.
Research published in 2006 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise revealed that wearing a weighted vest when walking increased oxygen consumption and calorie burn compared to walking without the load.
Studies support evidence of cardiovascular benefits, improved balance and mobility in older adults, and a boost in metabolic health. A 2019 study published in Obesity found that participants who wore weighted vests for long periods were able to reduce their body fat more compared to the control group. Women in particular may see significant health benefits from incorporating a weighted vest into their routine.
“Wearing a weighted vest during everyday activities or exercise can have unique benefits for women in menopause, supporting bone health, muscle strength, posture, and overall well-being,” said Joan Pagano, author of the book Strength Training Exercises for Women and the owner of Joan Pagano Fitness, located in NYC.
One of the biggest health concerns after menopause is bone loss, which causes an increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures. “Weight-bearing exercise is a proven way to stimulate bone density,” Pagano, who is recognized by the industry as a leading authority on exercise program design for osteoporosis, said. “A weighted vest adds a safe, consistent load to the skeleton, making simple movements like walking, stair climbing, or squats more effective in maintaining strong bones.”
Metabolism often slows during menopause, making it easier for women to gain weight around the midsection. “While it’s not a ‘magic bullet,’ the added resistance makes movement more metabolically demanding, which can help with long-term weight management when paired with healthy nutrition,” Pagano said.
The Risks
Weighted vests don’t come without injury risks. This includes overuse injuries specifically in the neck and arms due to adding too much weight too soon. Poorly fitted vests can also lead to injury.
Miller said those with chronic pain or who experience pain when wearing a vest should consult a physical therapist first to understand why. Always do the movement or exercise first to establish a base foundation before progressing to a weighted weight. For example, if you aren’t a regular walker, do not start walking with one on. “When you do add the vest, start with light weight and for a short amount of time,” she said. “Each walk, you can increase the time to build up your tolerance. This will help to avoid injury.”
Debunking The Weighted Vest Myths
Muscle mass naturally declines with age. Pagano said that the extra resistance from a weighted vest helps engage muscles during everyday activities and structured workouts.
Many people begin wearing weighted vests because of the idea it adds strength training to cardiovascular exercises like walking to kill two birds with one stone. Just keep in mind that it won’t build muscle the way heavy weightlifting does.
“Strength is only achieved when a muscle group is taken to failure, generally somewhere between six and 30 reps, “Miller said. It can increase strength, but only when worn for exercises like push-up or pull up to strengthen the upper body or core. Weighted vests aren’t ideal for lower body strengthening, as it is much more beneficial to have barbells to dumbbells because it doesn’t normally weigh enough to take you to failure for those types of exercises.”
After wearing a weighted vest routinely, people commonly report better core strength and posture. However, wearing the vest isn’t the only means to this end. “Things like posture and balance are going to be better developed doing specific posture exercises,” Miller advised.
However, wearing a weighted vest still challenges balance and alignment by activating stabilizing muscles that support upright posture. This can help reduce the risk of falls and injuries over time.
Guidelines for Wearing a Weighted Vest
It’s smart to first wear the vest around the house for a few minutes and slowly increase the time. Pagano, a certified exercise physiologist, advises using it during everyday movement. This includes doing housework or taking the stairs.
Walkers and runners looking to add the vest to workouts should do so at a location where they can take off the weighted vest safely if it becomes too much.
“Begin with a vest that’s four to six percent of your body weight and gradually increase as your body adapts,” Pagano said.
First, increase the time wearing the vest during exercise to a goal distance or reps before adding more weight. “With walking and jumping, research has pointed to building up to about ten percent of your body weight.”
How often or for long should someone wear a weighted vest varies on fitness level and training goals. “For menopause aged women, we generally suggest one to two sessions a week of impact training,” Miller said. “The average person should be doing resistance training at a minimum of twice a week,” she added. “If you would like to use your vest for your push-ups for more upper body strength, it would also be appropriate to add it there.”
Always check with a healthcare provider before adding a weighted vest to your routine. But once cleared, a weighted vest can help make simple activities like walking the dog or climbing stairs (or even amp up workouts) transform into steps towards a stronger you.