Why I Add Weight to My Walks

A few people have asked about the weighted vest I wear on my walks… so let’s talk about it!

Rucking is simply walking (or marching) while carrying extra weight in a backpack or vest.

Most of us don't have a ton of time every day to fit in a long walk. That's a big reason I love rucking: you can walk the same amount of time, or even a little less, and get a higher-intensity workout thanks to the added resistance. Kind of like getting more bang for your buck!

I also love that it adds a challenge without feeling as tough on joints as running does.

Let’s look at what research says about rucking:

• It raises the energy cost of walking. A vest that's 5-15% of your body weight increases energy expenditure by roughly 6-12% compared to unweighted walking at the same pace. That's a modest increase, so keep in mind that your pace still matters a lot!

• It adds resistance to a real-life movement. In everyday life, we carry groceries, pick up kids, haul laundry through the house. Rucking helps mirror some of those ordinary movements that we want to be able to handle for years to come.

• It makes your heart work a little harder. Extra weight can raise your heart rate and how hard a walk feels, without you having to walk faster or start running. That doesn't mean every weighted walk becomes an intense workout (pace, terrain, and amount of weight all matter), but if your usual walk has started to feel easy, a little added weight is one way to keep challenging yourself.

Does rucking replace or equal strength training?

Nope! Rucking is a great bonus, but it doesn't challenge your muscles the way targeted strength training does.

Walking with weight is one repeated movement, while proper strength work trains your whole body through lots of different movements. If you’d like a structured strength training program, I built LWC Workouts to help you with that!

Essentially, strength training is like the foundation, and your weighted walks are the bonus on top.

How to Start Rucking:

Start light and work your way up. Just like you wouldn’t walk into a gym and pick up the heaviest dumbbells possible, I don’t recommend carrying the heaviest weight you can right away. I personally use a Spy Ruck from GORUCK because of how comfortably it fits on my body.

Sometimes living a healthier lifestyle just comes down to improving the things you're already doing, and adding resistance to your walks is a simple way to do exactly that!

— Written by Logan Hurdle