Have you seen people wearing a weighted vest for walking? Let’s talk about it.
I’m not going to say I was ahead of the game, but I got my weighted vest more than a year-and-a-half ago. Originally, I was introduced to my weighted vest as part of a group fitness program I was teaching at the time. I had hardly ever seen one before then.
But now when I’m out and about, I see weighted vests everywhere and on so many people. While I’m no longer using my weighted vest in the group fitness studio, you can bet I’m wearing it every time I take a walk.
I’ve recommended weighted vests to so many people in my life and even gifted one to a friend recently. And I think this is a health-and-fitness trend totally worth considering. Let’s talk about why …
Here we go …
Wearing a weighted vest while you walk ups the intensity of your walk, without upping the impact. And yes, you’ll burn more calories.
Do you want a harder workout, you’ve been walking for a while, but you don’t want to turn your walk into a run? Just add a weighted vest. The additional resistance from your vest can make your walk harder, which in turn, can increase the cardiovascular challenge on you and your aerobic system.
I can assure you the first time I took my regular neighborhood walk with my vest on, all the hills were so much more difficult, and I was breathing way heavier than usual. It was much more of a “workout” walk than a “leisure” walk, and I loved it.
So yes, you’ll likely burn more calories when wearing a weighted vest. Although I encourage you not to worry so much about the burn of the calories and instead think about the benefit of the challenge.
Wearing a weighted vest can improve the strength of your muscles and the density of your bones.
When you have extra weight on your body while you walk, you put more pressure on your bones, joints and muscles, and this challenges them to get stronger. While bone density isn’t something you think about when you’re younger, as you age, it’s more and more important. Brittle bones break, dense bones remain intact.
Of course, we all know that resistance training is essential for an overall healthy life. If you put on a weighted vest and you walk, you’re adding resistance to your entire body — so yes, this is considered resistance training, to a degree. Having stronger muscles helps you to live a better life, where you can pick things up, move freely and care for yourself for the long haul. And this is a beautiful thing.
The barrier to entry for walking with a weighted vest is low. And it’s beneficial for most people.
Starting a new workout program or doing something new can be intimidating. You’re not sure if it’s right for you, and maybe you’re not sure when to begin or how to begin. However, adding a weighted vest to your walks is just so simple.
If you want to add a weighted vest to your walks, all you have to do is order the vest and put it on. We’ll cover just a few tips below, but mostly, you just go for it.
You don’t need to do any prep work, and you definitely don’t need to overthink it. And perhaps the addition of the weighted vest will get you more excited to get out there and get your steps in. Because I fully believe that walking is still one of the best ways to stay active, and it’s pretty accessible for everyone.
(Side note: If you’re pregnant or dealing with any shoulder, back or neck injuries, I probably wouldn’t wear a weighted vest.)
What should you know about wearing a weighted vest
When you wear a weighted vest, you need to have good posture.
It’s important to remember to stand up straight and pull your shoulders back and down. And yes, good posture is important all the time, but especially when you’ve added resistance to your body.
You also want to keep your core braced, and keep your shoulders over your hips, rather than pushing your hips forward or backward. If you tend to hunch over, a weighted vest could contribute to your hunch. That’s why you need to be sure to tighten up your vest, so it doesn’t bounce, and work with the weight, not against it. You’ll notice your core works harder with a vest on, and that’s part of the benefit of wearing it.
Choose a weighted vest that is a little bit of a challenge for you, not too much of a challenge.
Weighted vests are available in anywhere from 6 to even 30 pounds. If you’re new to wearing a weighted vest, I’d probably start at around 10 or 12 pounds. It’s probably not worth starting as low as 6, because I think you’d grow past that challenge quickly. But you also don’t want to start with something far too heavy, because that will be too big of a jump.
My weighted vest is 12 pounds, and I think that’s a great mid-range weight for the average person to begin with and use. When you start wearing it, it will feel tough, but then you’ll get more used to it. There are adjustable weighted vests, but those can be a little more bunchy, and I like how mine has a close-to-the-body feel. It doesn’t get in the way at all, and my arms swing freely, which I prefer.
And here is the weighted vest I’ve been wearing for walking …
I’ve only ever worn and tried one brand of weighted vest, and it’s the one I’ve used and recommended to a ton of people. I use this one, and it comes in multiple weights. It’s fully adjustable, so it should fit many sizes and shapes of bodies. And the design is sleek.
As I said, I have 12 pounds, and it’s perfect for me. It’s been super hot in Charlotte lately, so I haven’t been out there are much as I’d like, but you can bet, if I’m walking, I’m vested up.
Don’t forget to clean your weighted vest after every few uses.
To clean your weighted vest, I recommend you hang it to air dry in the sun opened up and give it a spritz of a non-toxic cleaning spray.
You probably don’t need to clean it every time, but every few times. The cleaning method is totally up to you, but my only real advice here would be not to drop it in a heap on the floor of a dark closet after getting it sweaty — let it hang opened up to dry properly. Nobody wants to wear a stinky vest.
Alright, friend. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about why you should consider wearing a weighted vest for walking. I love this health-and fitness-trend and think it’s certainly a bandwagon worth jumping on. There’s not much to lose from adding a little intensity to your walks and reaping some extra benefits.
Get out there and get walking!
Other posts you may like
Questions of the day for you
Do you have a weighted vest yet?
What’s one thing you’re doing to improve your health right now?
