Should I get a weighted vest to improve my fitness? And how massive should it be?

Weighted vest training is experiencing a renaissance. Social media posts AND sneakers they promote them as a potential strategy for improving fitness and health.

Exercising with extra weight attached to your body is nothing novel. This idea was used with soldiers many centuries, if not millennia – think about long hikes with a massive backpack.

The newfangled weighted vest comes in a variety of styles that are more comfortable and adjustable for added weight. But could anyone be of facilitate to you?

What the research says

One of the earliest studies entitled recorded in 1993observed 36 older adults wearing weighted vests during weekly exercise classes and at home for a period of 20 weeks. Wear was associated with improvements in bone health, pain and physical function.

Since then dozens of papers assessed the exercise effects of wearing a weighted vest and reported a number of benefits.

It’s no surprise that you exercise with a weighted vest increases physiological stress – that is, how demanding the body has to work – as seen by increased oxygen uptake, heart rate, carbohydrate utilization and energy expenditure.

Adding weight equal to 10% of your body weight is effective. But it doesn’t seem like your body is working much harder when carrying 5% extra weight compared to body weight alone.

Does greater load mean greater risk of injury?

Compact 2021 study The suggested additional weights do not change the biomechanics of walking or running. These are crucial issues related to the risk of lower limb injuries.

Safety considerations for exercising with weighted vests were also taken into account reported in a biomechanical study of running on a treadmill with an additional load of 1% to 10% of body weight.

Although physiological demand (indicated by heart rate) was higher with the additional weight and greater muscle forces, this did not have a negative impact on running movement.

To date, no studies have shown an increased number of injuries caused by wearing weighted vests during recreational exercise. However, a 2018 clinical trial on weight loss in people with obesity showed back pain in 25% of people wearing such vests. It’s demanding to say whether this could translate to recreational apply in people who don’t have obesity. As always, if you experience pain or discomfort, you should reduce the weight or stop training with the vest.

Is it better for weight loss or bone health?

Although wearing a weighted vest increases energy expenditure during aerobic and resistance exercise, research showing that it leads to greater fat loss or muscle mass maintenance is inconclusive.

One older study studied 30-minute treadmill walking three times a week in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Researchers found greater fat loss and muscle gain in participants who wore a weighted vest (at 4-8% of body weight). But next research on obese elderly people showed no greater fat loss in participants who wore weighted vests for an average of 6.7 hours per day.

There is great interest in the apply of weighted vests to improve bone health in older adults. One 2003 study reported significant improvements in bone density in a group of older women after 32 weeks of weighted vest walking and strength training compared to a sedentary control group.

But 2012 study found no differences in bone metabolism between groups of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis walking on a treadmill with or without a weighted vest.

Making progress

As with any exercise, there is a risk of injury if not performed correctly. However, the risks associated with training in a weighted vest appear to be low and can be managed with proper exercise progression and technique.

If you’re just starting to exercise, your priority should be to simply start exercising, rather than complicating it with wearing a weighted vest. Just using your body weight is enough to reach your destination significant increase in efficiency.

Once you have a good foundation in strength, aerobic capacity, and resistance in your muscles, joints, and bones, wearing a weighted vest can provide greater intensity and variety in the load.

It is crucial to start with a lower weight (e.g. 5% of your body weight) and escalate to no more than 10% for ground impact exercises such as running, jogging or walking.

For resistance training such as squats, push-ups, or pull-ups, progression can be achieved by increasing the weight and adjusting the number of repetitions for each set to approximately 10-15. So heavier loads, but lower reps, and then building up to escalate the load over time.

While a weighted vest can be used for resistance training, it is probably easier and more convenient to apply a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells or weighted bags.

The most crucial thing

Weight vest training is just one tool in a whole range of equipment, techniques and systems. Yes, walking or running with approximately 10% extra body weight increases energy expenditure and intensity. However, by training a little longer or at a higher intensity, you can achieve similar results.

Wearing a weighted vest during ground-based exercises such as walking or jogging may benefit your bone health. However, a similar or greater stimulus for bone growth can be obtained through resistance training or even its introduction influence training such as jumping, skipping or restrictive.

Exercising with a weighted vest probably won’t escalate your risk of injury. However, this must be approached intelligently, taking into account your fitness level, existing and previous injuries, and the appropriate progression of intensity and repetitions.