Workout fads come and go, but weighted vests may be here to stay. The trend has gained momentum because it’s an easy way to add some intensity to a workout or even everyday tasks.
“Walking with a weighted vest can help you build more strength and endurance than walking alone can,” says Sharon Hame, MD, a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at UCLA Health. “But you need to be careful and build up to it slowly to avoid injury.”
Adding weight to a walking workout is nothing new. People have been carrying hand weights or strapping weights to their wrists or ankles for years. But a vest allows for more even distribution of weight, which can be safer and more comfortable.
There are many potential advantages to putting on a weighted vest before you head out for a walk. These can include:
There’s a lot of buzz around walking with a weighted vest to build bone density, but Dr. Hame cautions that the proof for that claim is still lacking. “Walking is a good activity for your bones, and intuitively, it seems that adding a weighted vest would increase those benefits,” she says. “But to what extent the extra weight improves bone density isn’t really known at this time.”
When it comes to adding weight to your walk, it’s important not to get too ambitious too soon. The general recommendation is to start with a vest that’s about 5% of your body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, your vest should weigh no more than 7.5 pounds.
As you gain fitness, strength and endurance, you can gradually increase the amount of weight. That’s why Dr. Hame likes vests that come with adjustable weights. “You can slowly build up in small increments,” she suggests.
I find that my work capacity during squats is way better when I keep my cardio in.
I’ve been doing this for two weeks and my energy levels are through the roof.
I’ve been doing this for two weeks and my energy levels are through the roof.