In-vesting 101: The Rise Of Weighted Walking
Rucking—strapping weight to your body and going for a walk—is the perfect exercise for someone who wants to break a sweat AND dress like 50 Cent.
With influencers frequently touting weighted walking as a way to maintain bone density and muscle mass as you age, Americans are increasingly hopping on the bandwagon and buying gear to help weigh down their hikes, strolls, and daily constitutionals. From May 2024 to May 2025, weighted vest sales increased more than 50% to $27 million, according to Circana data.
Waste of time or worth the weight?
There’s no doubt that carrying extra weight on your walks will make them more difficult, which could improve strength and endurance. But the science is less clear on a claim frequently made online: that rucking can slow down bone-density loss more than regular exercise. Influencers (many of whom also make commissions on vest sales) have promoted it as a major benefit—especially for women, who rapidly lose bone density in the years after menopause—but, according to the New York Times:
- One small study found no difference in the bone health of people who walked with vests and those who didn’t.
- Other small-scale studies have shown that wearing vests during higher-intensity exercise could improve bone health, but it’s hard to say whether those benefits were from the vests or the exercise itself.
A weight-and-see approach: Experts say as long as you don’t have joint pain and aren’t at risk for a spine fracture, weighted walking should be fine. Just be sure to start low and slow—with proper form—to avoid injury, then add weight and distance as you feel more comfortable.—BC
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