What Are the Benefits of a Weighted Vest While Walking?

Using a weighted vest while walking increases the load your body is carrying. Your body must work harder to walk at the same speed and for the same amount of time as it would without the vest. This means the intensity of the walking is greater while wearing the vest.

  1. Extra load means extra work

    • Weighted vests come in different sizes and weights. One common weight is 40 lbs. Wearing an extra 40 lbs. on your body while walking means that your body is doing extra work and is expending more energy than it does when you walk at the same rate without the vest.

    Weighted vests and burning calories

    • Your body burns calories for fuel as you perform aerobic exercise. A weighted vest increases the intensity of the exercise. Increased intensity translates into more calories burned in the given amount of time spent exercising. Walking for twenty minutes with a weighted vest burns more calories than walking without one.

    Weighted vests and strength training

    • Weighted vests can be useful for doing strength training movements such as push-ups and pull-ups. Donning a 20 lb. vest would greatly increase the intensity of these exercises.

    Walking and Hiking with a vest

    • You can wear a weighted vest for more challenging walks such as hiking trails and the loose sands of a beach. These walks will add variety and tax your body differently than a walk in your neighborhood.

    Start slow

    • Wearing a weighted vest while walking, even one that you perceive to be light, adds unfamiliar stresses to muscles and joints. When you begin using a vest do not attempt the same walks you had been doing. Instead, gradually work your way back up to them over the course of several weeks.