Pros and Cons of Wearing a Weighted Vest During Walks

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Wearing a weighted vest can take your walking workouts up a notch, leading to greater fitness gains. However, you must do it properly to avoid potential injury.

Story At-a-Glance

• Wearing a weighted vest while walking can lead to significant gains in physical performance and health.
• It engages more muscles, helping to build strength and endurance and may help boost metabolism, maintain strong bones, and make everyday tasks easier.
• In a study of women between the ages of 65 and 74 who took part in an exercise program while wearing a weight vest, lower limb muscle power improved by 10 percent to 11 percent.
• Wearing a weighted vest can pose a risk of injury, particularly if the weight is too heavy, it’s not balanced properly or you have a pre-existing condition like arthritis.
• To minimize risks, start with a light weight and gradually increase the load as your body adapts; also be sure the vest fits properly and the weight is distributed evenly.

Walking is an excellent form of exercise that cannot be overdone, unlike more vigorous forms of physical activity like high-intensity interval training and strength training. Not only is it low impact, but it can be done virtually anywhere and requires no special equipment.

Further, walking is a natural human activity, like breathing, sleeping, and eating,¹ which gives a clue to its usefulness for fitness. Walking is appropriate for beginners to seasoned athletes, and its versatility allows you to adjust the intensity and duration to match your fitness levels and meet your exercise goals.