You’ve probably heard of or seen people using weighted vests when exercising, but you may not know exactly why. How is adding more weight to your body going to benefit you?
Weighted vests are exactly what they sound like – a vest worn on your chest/torso that contains weights. Fully adjustable vests allow you to change the weights around when you want a more or less intense workout. Some are designed for strength training and can hold over 100lbs, and some, like The Empower Weighted Vest, hold less weight and are specifically designed for walking, running and other forms of cardio.
Related Reading: How To Choose The Right Weighted Vest
Walking is an easy, free, and safe form of exercise. If you’re looking to increase your calorie burn or lose weight, however, it can be difficult to achieve just from walking. Your natural walking speed is determined involuntarily by your body to be the most efficient speed, and most efficient means using the least amount of calories (source). One way of increasing the number of calories burned while walking is to increase your body weight.
Walking for Weight Loss – Faster or Farther?
Increasing your weight while walking has an advantage over increasing walking speed (or jogging/running) because it won’t feel as intense- i.e. you won’t get as out of breath. That means you’ll be able to walk for a longer period of time than you would run (maybe an hour of walking vs a 20 minute run) and you’ll still burn calories at a faster rate. It’s an easier workout, but you still get to reap the benefits.
Weighted Vests for Walking
If you plan on using your vest for walking or running, there are 3 things you’ll want to consider – whether the vest is machine washable, if it has reflective striping, and if the weight is adjustable. These are a few of our top picks for cardio:
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Weighted Vests Versus Other Methods of Adding Weight
Weighted vests are the safest and most effective way of increasing your body weight while walking. As you can see in the picture of The miR Weighted Vest to the right, they distribute the weight evenly and across your torso giving you a natural feel. Ankle weights can cause strain on the joints and repetition injuries. Backpacks can shift around your body, force you to lean forward, and focus the weight on your hips and shoulders, all of which can cause pain and discomfort.
Holding weights in the hand is not very effective as a way of increasing calorie burn while walking because of a phenomenon known as the “free ride”. This is where carrying small weights while walking does not cause a difference in how hard the body needs to work. The weights moving in opposite directions essentially cancel each other out. (source).
Weighted Vests and Increasing Calorie Burn
Wearing a weighted vest while walking increases your calorie expenditure compared to walking with no vest. Researchers gave people weighted vests that were 5%, 10%, or 15% of the person’s bodyweight and had them walk on a treadmill at a normal walking speed of 2.5 mph. There was a 12% increase in kilocalories used (source). The effect got stronger the higher the incline people were walking on (source) and it also gets stronger as walking speed increases (source).
Weighted Vests and Weight Loss
This increase in calorie burn means a weighted vest will help you lose weight. It can also prevent the loss of muscle mass and strength that often goes along with weight loss. Wearing a weighted vest while exercising increases lean muscle mass and improves strength in the lower extremities (source).
Related Reading: How Weighted Vests Help You Burn Fat
The major benefit of walking with a weighted vest is that perceived exertion (how hard people feel they were exercising) does not increase in the same way as it does when walking up a steep incline or walking faster (source).
Weighted Vests and Cardiovascular Endurance
Wearing a weighted vest while walking will also increase your VO2max (source). This is the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can utilize during exercise and is an indicator of cardiovascular health. The more oxygen you can use, the better your cardiovascular endurance. And the benefits don’t end there. Increasing your VO2max can help to prevent heart disease and even some forms of cancer (source).
Walking as a Safe Method of Exercise
Walking is a safe form of exercise that pretty much anyone can do. From those who are just beginning their fitness journey, to people with health conditions that can make exercising difficult. Adding a weighted vest will increase your calorie burn and help you reap additional benefits. Compared to running, jogging, and other more intense forms of exercise, walking with a weighted vest involves much less risk of injury due to less stress being placed on your joints (source).
Get Your Walk On
Weighted vests will boost the health benefits of walking by helping you burn more calories, increasing weight loss, and improving your cardiovascular endurance. You’re also much less likely to injure yourself than with other more intense forms of exercise. Whether you’re just getting started, or looking to increase the efficiency of your current workout, wearing a weighted vest will help you reach your goals.
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