Walking Weighted: My Experience Walking with a Weighted Vest

Recently, we took a look at the pros and cons of adding weights to boost your regular walking routine. It had been something that I’d been considering (read: obsessing about) for quite a while. And after reading up on it for a while, I decided that it was time for me to give it a try. After all, walking with weights comes with a whole lot of added benefits—and I’m all for the added benefits.

As we saw earlier, there are a number of different ways to add some weight to your regular walks—and I regularly strap my Bala Bangles on my wrists when I’m on the treadmill. But, these days, it seems that weighted vests are the cool way to go. And since I’m always up for trying something new, I was eager to try one out.

Of course, since I’m generally prone to indecision, I spent a lot of time agonizing over which vest to get before I finally ordered mine. I liked the look of the set-weight vests. They’re smaller and sleeker—and come in cute colors, too. But I didn’t love the fact that I’d have to choose a weight and stick with it (or shell out more cash for another vest when I was ready to increase my weight). So, in the end, I went with an adjustable-weight vest, which comes with pockets that can be filled with metal weight bars or sand bags. My husband picked up some sand on a hardware store run for just a couple of dollars and filled the bags for me—each weighing in at a pound and a half—only to realize that it might be a challenge to get the filled bags into the pockets. I’m still trying to figure out how to squeeze most of the filled bags into the pockets—but, since I didn’t want to start with that much weight anyway, I managed to stuff some bags into the edge pockets—for a total of six pounds.

Still, no matter how enthusiastic I was about the idea of walking with my new weighted vest, I hesitated to strap on the vest and hit the trail. Mostly it was because I felt a little self-conscious about the whole thing. The vest is big and bulky, and it looks like I’m going into battle—not heading out for a good workout. Admittedly, I may have been a little less self-conscious with the kind of weighted vest that’s not adjustable—because they look more like a hydration pack than a tactical vest—but that decision had been made, and I needed to live with it.

Finally, though, I found the perfect opportunity: a cold day when I was just going to hit the treadmill instead of heading to the trail. I could try out the vest without worrying about being seen.

Now, ideally, I would give the vest a try on a short, easy walk. That is, after all, the best way to try anything new. But I rarely take my own advice—so, in a very don’t-try-this-at-home moment, I strapped on the vest to walk on the treadmill while also watching a movie. Fortunately, I hadn’t added a lot of weight to the vest, so it wasn’t carrying an extra 10% of my body weight—but it was definitely still a noticeable difference. Not only was I carrying the extra weight, but I was doing so with a bulky one-size-fits-all vest. It was a little longer than I would have liked—and the width made me have to hold my arms out a little farther on the sides to keep from rubbing against the fabric. But, eventually, I got used to it.

My workout was on the long side, but it wasn’t horrible. I could tell that I was working harder, which is the whole point. And when I took the vest off after my walk, I was absolutely drenched in sweat. So I considered that a successful workout.

For the rest of the day, I was absolutely beat—much more than I would normally be after a five-mile walk. I was a little bit achy, too—because my body clearly wasn’t used to carrying the extra weight. I could feel it a little bit in my shoulders and in my back—which is why it’s best to start new workouts like this gradually. So I’m glad that I started with just a few extra pounds. But the tiredness and that little extra ache told me that it had been a great workout—and I was looking forward to doing it again.

As luck would have it, the next day was cold and rainy, and I decided to go for back-to-back weighted walks. I was still pretty tired from the day before, so I skipped my extra wrist weights and didn’t go as fast or as far. But wow…what a workout! After two days straight, I could feel how hard I’d worked. It was definitely a major workout boost.

Since those first couple of days, I’ve often reached for that vest. Because you know what? I kinda like it.

Here are some things I’ve noticed after my first weighted walks:

– This is one sweaty workout. Every time I took off the vest, I was ridiculously sweaty. So I could tell I was working even harder than usual.

– I felt the workout in muscles that I definitely don’t use for everyday walks. I could tell the difference in my core almost right away.

– After walking in my weighted vest, I definitely felt more worn-out than usual. But I also felt invincible. You know that rush you get after you finish a tough race—or you walk farther or faster than you were able to walk before? Yeah…it’s like that.

If you’re thinking about trying it out, here are few things to consider:

– Check with your doc. This is a more intense workout than your daily walk, so it’s important to make sure that your body can handle it.

– Consider the fit of your vest. It might be worth spending a little more to get a vest that isn’t just one-size-fits-your-bodybuilder-cousin.

– Start light. Though some sources say that you could ideally work your way up to carrying 10% of your body weight, don’t start there. Walking with a weighted vest takes some getting used to—just like any other workout. If you’re shopping for a vest that’s a set weight, start light and plan to order a heavier one later. If you choose to go with an adjustable vest, start with just a few extra pounds and work up.

– Don’t forget the water! Walking with a weighted vest will make you sweat. A lot. And that means you’ll need to pay extra attention to your hydration. An added bonus that I found to using my weighted vest while walking on the treadmill was that I could have a ton of water handy without having to carry it.

– Balance the weight. If you’ve got an adjustable vest, make sure to evenly spread out your weights. Don’t put them all on one side—or more to one side—because that’s just an injury waiting to happen.

If you regularly walk with weights—or you’re just starting to try it out—I’d love to hear about your experiences! Do you love it? Hate it? Love to hate it? Tell us all about it!