It doesn’t matter if you’re a dedicated fitness guru, or haven’t broken a sweat since you were 12 years old. Everyone knows that jogging, or going for a run, is at the top of the list when it comes to cardiovascular exercise. But is it really the best way to lose weight and get in shape? What exactly are the benefits of running with a weighted vest?
In addition to burning fat and losing weight, there are even more benefits to getting your miles in. From cardiovascular health to improved mood and a general sense of happiness, running can improve your body physically and emotionally.
Related Reading: Best Weighted Vests for Running
If you’re just beginning on your fitness journey, you won’t need any fancy equipment. A few tweaks to your diet and a decent pair of running shoes will do. But if you’re looking to step up your workout or melt off those last 5 pounds, adding a weight vest to any cardio routine can be extremely beneficial.
Strength Training or Cardio? Beginner Questions
There are plenty of different forms of exercise, most of which can be categorized into two main types: Strength Training and Cardio.
Strength training will increase muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone strength. That means it increases your body’s lean mass – which bumps up your resting metabolic rate – meaning you’ll be burning more calories even at rest. It will also reduce your potential for injury by improving the strength of your joints and increasing bone density. Allowing you to run more, and for longer periods of time.
Running and jogging fall under cardio and will increase lung capacity, keep your heart healthy so it can pump blood more easily, and reduce risk of heart attack, diabetes, high cholesterol, and even some forms of cancer. So yeah, there are definitely benefits!
Weighted vests can be incorporated into both strength training and cardio routines. Here we’ll focus on the benefits of cardio.
Running in a Weight Vest: The Benefits
- Cardiovascular
The primary benefit of running is it improves your cardiovascular system – the ability of your heart to pump blood through your body – but there are plenty of other good reasons to go for a run. For a great, in-depth list of the benefits of running check out this article over at runnersworld.com
Related Reading: How Weighted Vests Help You Burn Fat
- Metabolic
Ok, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Yes, wearing a weighted vest while running will help you burn more calories and lose more weight. Why? Because it forces your body to work harder. You’ve probably heard of or seen the show “The Biggest Loser” right? The contestants on the show are somehow able to lose double-digit pounds in just a week or two. So how do they do it? Most of those people weigh over 200 pounds, some over even 300, let’s call the average 250. So how much do you weigh? Imagine putting on a vest that brought your total weight up to 250 pounds. How much harder would your legs have to work to stand up, your core to keep yourself stable, you’d probably struggle just to walk!
Physics 101 – “Work” is calculated by multiplying Force times Distance. The Force is applied by your muscles working to move your weight and the Distance is how much you move.
The more weight you carry, the harder your body has to work, and that translates to more calories burned. This is also why as you start to lose weight and get in better shape, it becomes increasingly difficult to see more results. The less you weigh, the less work your body is performing. Here’s where the weight vest comes in handy. When you add more weight back into the equation, you start burning more calories again!
The RUNfast/max Adjustable weighted vest is our top rated vest at STE.
Can You Run in a Weight Vest: A Valid Concern
The answer is yes, you can. However, there are some things you need to take into consideration before making the decision.
If you’re new to running, or exercise in general, running just a quarter to a half mile without stopping my be difficult, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Start by working your way up to a point where you can easily run two to three miles at a fair pace. This is when adding a weighted vest can be beneficial. Your body will now have to work harder due to the added weight, which means you’ll burn more calories in the same amount of time.
The vest will increase the demand placed on your legs and your cardiovascular system, and using a weighted vest that’s too heavy to the point that it affects your running style is a sign that you may want to reduce the weight. Start light and work your way up.
Follow us!
