WARNING! This may be controversial.
Why can’t a walk be a walk anymore?
If you follow fitness trends, you know that weighted vests are all the rage. They are touted as improving bone density, increasing cardiovascular intensity, and building strength. While this may be true, there are contraindications that no one talks about.
Like any fitness regimen, it’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it. The industry is selling the what without educating the consumer on the importance of how alignment and core strength are essential to offset the risk of joint strain, overuse, and pain.
Like many fitness trends and gadgets, the weighted vest trend preys on fears and insecurities (age-related bone and muscle loss) to sell a quick fix. Strength training is essential for healthy aging but building muscle and preventing or offsetting bone loss is not a quick fix—it cannot be triaged solely by walking with a weighted vest. In fact, adding weight without utilizing your core strength and proper alignment can do more harm than good.
Visualize your spine as a skyscraper. The more you build vertical and add on, the stronger the foundation has to be to support it. If you build it crooked and keep adding more floors, it will not be structurally sound. Adding a weighted vest to a spine with scoliosis or spinal stenosis will accentuate the issue. Adding weight to a body that is prone to joint pain (think knees, back, hips) can lead to strain or pain. Even if you are feeling okay physically, adding the weighted vest may be the hair that breaks the camels back.
This is not to say that weighted vests don’t have any potential benefits. If the conditions are perfect, meaning one has great posture, spinal alignment and core strength, they can contribute to bone and muscle health when used in moderation. I have spent the past 20 years of my career in the fitness space teaching posture and alignment. Most people have some degree of compromised posture thanks to sedentary and tech-forward lifestyles and many don’t recognize that they have compromised posture and may self-select tools that could be harmful.
Despite what the social media and influencers are telling you, weighted vests are not the end-all be-all of fitness. When it comes to health and longevity, the most effective way to build and maintain muscle is also the simplest: lift weights heavy enough to challenge your muscles, allowing them to grow stronger through the repair process. Stick to a well-structured, balanced program that emphasizes proper alignment and gradual progression over time.
Once you have established a strong foundation, you can layer on the vest. But honestly, if you are lifting regularly, take a walk, skip the vest and connect with nature, enjoy the fresh air just for fun. You don’t have to optimize everything all the time.
