Want to take your walking game to the next level? Then it might be time to add some weights to your routine. If you’re curious about taking a walk with a weight vest, then keep reading, as we’ve broken down the benefits and risks. There are several ways to add weights to your walking routine, such as ankle and wrist weights, but for an overall challenging experience, weighted vests are the perfect option.
Are Weighted Vests Beneficial?
Weighted vests are becoming more and more popular on social media, but that doesn’t mean you should run out and grab one. While there are many benefits to taking a walk with a weighted vest, there are some things you should be aware of. It’s important to talk to a professional or your doctor to make sure it’s an appropriate fit for you.
But overall, walking with a weighted vest is extremely beneficial. “Walking with a weighted vest can help you build some 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.”
Along with that, Harvard Health found that walking with a weighted vest builds muscle strength and bone density, improves the heart’s pumping ability, expands lung capacity, burns more calories, and enhances core strength.
Benefit 1: Burn Calories
When you walk with a weighted vest, you’re likely to burn 10 to 20 percent more calories than if you walked without one. However, this can fluctuate depending on a lot of factors, including the weight of the vest and the effort of exercise. In fact, a study found that walking with a 5 to 10 percent grade with a weighted vest of 10 percent body mass expended 13 percent more calories.
Benefit 2: Improve Posture
While this is a benefit, it can also be considered a risk that you need to be aware of. A weighted vest is a great way to expend more calories and offer yourself a challenge, but posture is the key to ensuring you avoid an injury. While walking with the added weight is a great way to correct poor posture, as it encourages you to walk with a neutral spine and prevents you from leaning forward or backward, it can easily lead to back injuries.
Benefit 3: Increase Strength
Of course, like with any weighted workout, you’re going to see improvement in your strength. But for taking a walk with a weighted vest, you’re going to see a lot of strength in your core. Weighted vests act like resistance training, which leads to stronger muscles and better muscle tone, turning a simple walk into a full-body workout.
How Heavy Should the Vest Be?
The recommended weight for a vest should be 5 percent of your body weight, at least to start with. If you weigh 150 pounds, you should not start with anything over 7.5 pounds. You can increase the weight as you continue your walking journey.
You’ll gain fitness, strength, and endurance as you continue your workout. However, starting with anything over can result in injuries. It’s also important that for those who frequently walk up hills, it might be smart to start even lower than 5 percent.
Risks of a Weighted Vest
If you’re recovering from an injury or have had an injury in the past, it’s important to talk to your doctor before following along with this trend. While it might seem simple to walk with a weighted vest, it can be a risk, especially if you take the necessary steps to get acclimated.
“Anyone with a back or neck injury should be very cautious about wearing a weighted vest,” says Dr. Hame. This is also true for those who experience arthritis in the hips, knees, or ankles.
Speaking of taking necessary steps, walking with weights is more strenuous. This means that it’s important to work up to it. Starting with wrist or ankle weights, where you only add a couple of pounds, is a great way to start. Or, you can start with very short spurts with higher weight, understanding that you should not walk a mile with heavy weight right off the bat.
It’s also important to figure out if it fits properly. Poor fit can lead to back, leg, or other injuries.