The Health Benefits of Using a Weighted Vest
In recent years, wearing a weighted vest has become quite popular especially in functional medicine circles. I actually just purchased a weighted vest myself to wear around the house and to wear while running and doing strength training at home. There are several options out there but a good rule of thumb is to begin with a weighted vest that is about 5-10% of your body weight and work up slowly. This may mean investing (pun intended!) in several weighted vests or purchasing a vest you can add weight to (usually in 2 lb increments). I have recommended weighted vests to many patients including my own father who is working to increase bone density and prevent bone loss. Wearing a weighted vest is an efficient way to increase gains, primarily in the realm of fitness and physical performance.
Here are some of the advantages:
Increased Intensity: Adding weight to your body increases the intensity of exercises such as walking, running, or bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, or lunges. This helps to challenge your muscles more and can lead to greater strength and endurance gains.
Improved Strength and Endurance: By incorporating a weighted vest into your workouts, you can enhance both your muscular strength and endurance. This is particularly beneficial for athletes looking to improve their performance in sports that require strength and endurance, such as running, hiking, or martial arts.
Bone Density: Weight-bearing exercises are known to improve bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Wearing a weighted vest during activities like walking or jogging can increase the load on your bones, promoting stronger bone development.
Calorie Burn: Adding extra weight to your body increases the energy expenditure during exercise, leading to more calories burned. This can be advantageous for individuals looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Balance and Stability: A weighted vest can also help improve balance and stability by challenging your core muscles and proprioception (awareness of your body's position in space). This is particularly useful for older adults or individuals undergoing rehabilitation from injuries.
Convenience: Unlike carrying dumbbells or other external weights, a weighted vest allows for more freedom of movement during exercises. This makes it a convenient tool for adding resistance to various activities without hindering your range of motion.
So, who might benefit the most from using a weighted vest? I’d say anyone looking to increase strength and endurance. But I think that, in particular, women in the perimenopausal and menopausal phases of life can benefit even more than most. This is a great way to prepare your body for aging well and to avoid losing muscle and bone. Older adults can also use a weighted vests to maintain or improve balance, and overall strength, reducing the risk of falls and fractures. Individuals looking to intensify their workouts and to break through plateaus can use a weighted vest to add resistance to bodyweight exercises (planks, push-ups, lunges) or cardiovascular activities like walking and hiking. Athletes from various sports, such as runners, soccer players, and martial artists, can benefit from the increased resistance provided by a weighted vest to enhance their strength, endurance, and performance. Individuals aiming for weight loss can use a weighted vest to increase calorie burn during workouts, helping them achieve their fitness goals more efficiently. Even kids can benefit from wearing weighted vests especially if they are sensory seekers and need added input from their environment. It can help with proprioception and a sense of calm.
Adding a weighted vest is just one of the many practical things you can do from a functional medicine perspective to reduce the risk of long term dysfunction and disease and to improve overall health. Visit our Denver, Colorado holistic health practice or make an appointment to find out more here.
