Weighted vests have become popular for fitness enthusiasts, as they provide a simple yet effective way to increase the benefits of regular exercise and even daily activities. From improving weight loss to building endurance, right down to activating your muscles, a weighted vest could very well make all the difference in your journey toward fitness.
This article explores how these weighted vests upgrade one’s workout, help in daily routines, and contribute toward overall health.
What is a Weighted Vest?
A weighted vest is simply a type of fitness equipment used to add extra weight to the body. These vests come with adjustable features, allowing users to add or remove weight based on fitness level and goals. They are used for a large number of activities, which include strength training, cardio, and even low-impact exercises.
The extra resistance created by the weight in the vest will make your body work harder than it usually does with simple movements or exercises. Therefore, this extra work aids in greatly enhancing your calorie burn, muscular strength, and stamina.
How Weighted Vests Help with Weight Loss
One of the biggest advantages attributed to weighted vests pertains to weight loss through an increase in the rate of calorie burning during exercise and daily activities.
1. Increase in Rate of Burning Calories
Wearing a weighted vest during exercise will considerably raise energy expenditure because your body will be expelling and working harder for the allowance of even basic movements. Indeed, studies have found that subjects who wear a weighted vest during an activity such as walking, jogging, or climbing stairs tend to burn more calories compared to people performing similar activities without the use of a weighted vest.
One study published in in EClinicalMedicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal, was able to record that those who walked or ran while wearing weighted vests demonstrated increased caloric expenditure. This in turn becomes very useful for individuals who want to decrease body fat and realize fat loss that can be maintained.
2. Reducing Fat Mass
The extra effort required to move with a vest not only increases caloric expenditure but also targets fat mass. A new study conducted by the University of Gothenburg demonstrated that wearing weighted vests for extended periods, even without intense exercise, led to significant reductions in body fat among participants.
3. Supporting Obese Individuals
It can also serve as a means of transitioning into higher intensities for obese or highly overweight individuals of high body mass indexes by starting with low-impact activities. It is easy to adjust the weight inside the vest to just provide enough resistance to burn calories without always being overwhelming to the body.
Do Weighted Vests Improve Endurance?
Weighted vests are also great for endurance, regardless of whether one is an athlete or not. Because you are wearing a vest, automatically, your body adapts to the extra resistance pulled through by your body; hence, this leads to better strength gains and aerobic capacity.
1. Intensify Cardio Workouts
Cardio Exercises: Performing treadmill exercises, running, or cycling while wearing a weighted vest increases the heart rate and the aerobic intensity of the exercise, hence giving a better workout to the cardiovascular system, enabling you eventually to walk or run for long periods of time without feeling tired.
2. Building Muscular Endurance
Activities like squats and lunges with added resistance from a weighted vest engage more muscle fibers, improving both strength and endurance. This is particularly beneficial for people training for sports or high-intensity activities.
Muscle Activation and Strength Gains
Another key advantage of weighted vests is their ability to promote muscle activation and building muscle strength through added resistance.
1. Enhancing Strength Training
This extra weight from the vest will make exercises such as pushups, pullups, or weighted planks harder to execute; hence, your muscles are forced to fight harder, meaning greater muscular strength and, eventually, swifter progress in your routine.
2. Bone Density Enhancement
Weighted vests are also strongly associated with improved bone density, whereby the added load encourages the bone to grow stronger. This makes them particularly beneficial for individuals who are at risk of osteoporosis or looking to maintain skeletal health.
Using Weighted Vests for Daily Activities
You don’t need to confine wearing weighted vests to workouts. Incorporating them into your daily activities offers surprising health benefits without requiring dedicated exercise time.
1. Transforming Everyday Movements
By simply wearing a weighted vest while performing daily tasks such as:
- Walking around your home or outdoors,
- Household chores like cooking or cleaning, and
- Running errands,
you can turn these mundane activities into opportunities for burning calories and improving muscle strength.
2. Passive Fat Loss
A new method explored by the University of Gothenburg highlights the benefits of wearing weighted vests for extended durations during regular routines. This study showed participants experienced increased calorie burn and fat loss without engaging in formal exercise.
3. Convenience for Busy Lifestyles
For those with packed schedules, a weighted vest provides a way to stay active and improve fitness throughout the day.
Safety Tips for Using Weighted Vests
While weighted vests can also increase fitness benefits, using them improperly may increase the risk of discomfort or injury. Follow these tips to use them safely:
- Light Start: Take 2–3% of one’s body weight in the beginning to avoid overloading joints.
- Adjustable Weight Vest: Go for a vest where you are able to remove or add weight as it would be comforting and achieve your goals.
- Fit Snug: The vest must sit snug on the body and mustn’t move around.
- Limit Duration: The vest mustn’t be worn continuously because this may lead to soreness or fatigue.
- Focus on Low-Impact Activities: Avoid high-impact exercises; instead, focus on walking or single-leg squats.
Conclusion:
The benefits of weighted vests go way beyond traditional workouts. Be it to burn calories, increase endurance, or muscle activation, this versatile tool will jack up one’s fitness routine. As a matter of fact, even wearing a vest in daily life without necessarily working out will be serving to keep one active, build strength, and lose weight over time.
FAQs
How much weight should one start using in the weighted vest?
It is always good to start with light weights, such as using a vest that is 2–3% of body weight, and increase progressively in the vest as the body acclimatizes.
Can weighted vests help with weight loss?
Indeed, wearing a weighted vest results in increased caloric expenditure, which, therefore, may reduce fat mass and eventually contribute to weight loss.
Are weighted vests safe for obese individuals?
Yes, Weighted vests have a manageable weight that can be turned to the least weight, making it perfect for any obese person looking forward to getting fit through low-impact activities.
Can I wear a weighted vest all day?
It’s not recommended to wear the vest for extended periods, as it may cause fatigue or strain. Start with short durations and assess your comfort.
What activities can I do with a weighted vest?
You can do squats, pushups, and pullups in weighted vest or just wear it while doing your daily routine, walking, cleaning, or gardening.
References:
- Ohlsson C, Gidestrand E, Bellman J, Larsson C, Palsdottir V, Hägg D, Jansson PA, Jansson JO. Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects – A proof of concept randomized clinical trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Apr 30;22:100338. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100338. PMID: 32510046; PMCID: PMC7264953.
Related posts:
Weight Vest For Weight Loss: My Secret to Losing Weight
Weighted Vest Training: 2025 Evidence-Based Benefits common pitfalls and limitations
Your Brain on Weighted Vests: The Neurological Benefits Explained—New Study Reveals Cognitive Enhancements
The Surprising Benefits of Sleeping with a Weighted Vest: Recovery or Risk?