Is This Vest Worth Its Weight in Fitness Returns?

Whether it was HYROX, COVID, aging or Cynthia Erivo, people and events have inspired an army of weighted vest users in a fitness trend that shows little sign of slowing. A garment once largely confined to rucksack-toting military members, the sleeker, often colorful vests are invading gyms, parks, hiking trails and neighborhoods.

Research on the fitness (almost fashion) accessory is still new, and the ages and missions of its wearers are diverse. But a consensus seems to be the vests can add some oomph to a workout, potentially boosting cardio, tightening cores, straitening postures and – a University of Colorado Anshutz Medical Campus researcher says – quite possibly improving bone mass with weight loss.

Fitness experts cite accessibility as the main driver of vest mania, saying the garment is easier to throw in a car or stash in a closet than, say, a set of dumbbells.

“It’s something that’s easy to get and easy to use,” said Sarah Wherry, PhD, assistant professor of geriatrics at the CU School of Medicine. “Also, people always talk about being crunched for time. That’s a major reason that they don’t participate in exercise. If this is an easy way to get activity into your day, great,” she said, noting it can be worn on a quick walk or just doing chores around the house.

“And, especially for older adults, going into a fitness center or a gym and trying to do traditional resistance training can be very intimidating,” Wherry said.

See related story: Can a Weighted Vest Save Bone Density While Losing Weight?

“During COVID, when gyms were shut down, it was a very useful tool,” said Jared Laxner, MSc, CSCS, a fitness specialist at the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, which has vests for members to use. “And I think now people are realizing we don’t have to cycle that out of our fitness routines.”

As with most trends, social media played a role, with posts of celebrities and athletes in popular fitness programs such as HYROX sporting vests during workouts. (Erivo even created a line of weighted vests designed for women.)

“So, the general population is like: 'Oh, let me throw the vests on and start doing what those athletes are doing.' But you have to be very smart and careful about it,” said Laxner, noting that jumping in too fast can put excess strain on the ankles, knees, hips and spine.

Want to join the trend? Take it easy

“My first recommendation is start low, and go slow,” Wherry said. Most experts suggest no more than 5% to 10% of a person’s body weight the first time out. “If you’re tolerating that weight and can go two or three weeks without any pain or any problems, continue to slowly increase that weight and stay on that cadence.”

Allowing the body to adapt to a stimulus before increasing it is the basis of improving fitness, Laxner said Laxner. “A stimulus can be a longer time on a walk, a faster speed, more walks or more weight added to the vest,” he said. Laxner recommends choosing vests that have removable/adjustable weights for progressive training.

People with arthritis or other problems with their spine or joints need to go extra slow, clearing the training with a healthcare provider first and stopping if vest-wear exacerbates any symptoms, Wherry said.

Weighted vests come in different styles, colors and weights. Some come with pockets that hold removable weights.

Can weighted-vest workouts count as resistance training?

There aren’t a lot of studies on weighted vests in general or on comparing them with resistance training in particular, Wherry said. “The little bit of data that we do have for older women suggests that wearing a weighted vest during some exercises may slow age-related bone loss. But something to keep in mind is that a weighted vest is loading in a very specific part of your body. It’s not going to do much for upper-body strength.”

While Laxner says people can do limited resistance training wearing vests during squats, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, making it a great home-gym tool and better than nothing, it can’t fully replace the benefits of gym strength training. There are so many more movements and variables in a gym setting (dumbbells, barbells and diverse machines).”

What’s all the hoopla about hip bones?

A few studies on weighted-vest wear do suggest improvements in hip bone density, said Wherry, an expert on the effects of exercise on bone. “And that is important because when we think of our really devastating sites of osteoporotic fracture, it’s the hip. When we talk about the site with the most loss of mobility, loss of independence and even mortality, it tends to be the hip. So, strengthening that area would be generally beneficial,” she said.

“But just because a bone is getting denser does not always necessarily directly translate into reduced fracture. There is a correlation there. But there are fractures in people with normal bone mineral density. So, I don’t think we have the data yet to say this is something that is going to help you prevent hip fracture.”

Can these vests improve balance and posture?

The data is mixed right now on balance. “There’s some that’s showing that weighted vests may improve balance,” Wherry said. Yet there are calls for people with balance issues to not use the vests. “They may interfere with center of gravity and their ability to move through the environment.”

As for posture, some evidence suggests it does help by strengthening the muscles of the back and the core, Wherry said.

“It’s kind of a sensory feedback thing,” Laxner said, gesturing to the front of both his shoulders where the straps hang. “That constant sensory feedback right here causes you to open up your chest and stop slouching because of that weight.”

Weighted vests can be used to intensify some body-weight resistance training exercises such as push-ups, squats and pull-ups.

Will wearing a vest improve cardiovascular fitness?

Current data on cardio benefits largely focuses on military populations and rucking – exercising while carrying large packs on their backs, Wherry said. “So, it’s a little bit of a different weight distribution than weighted vests and also a very different population.

In the military population, there does seem to be a benefit in cardiovascular health and performance. But, again, we’re talking about young people who are already very highly fit and exercise at a very high intensity.”

That’s not to say there won’t be any benefits for the general population; just likely not to the extent those studies show, Wherry said.

Can a vest be worn with any exercise?

Weighted vests can add more risk than benefit to some exercises and should not be used with every workout, Laxner said. “Don’t swim with it unless you are a very highly trained swimmer.” And do not run with it right out of the gate, he said. “As a beginner, ease into it with walking so you can see if you have any issues with it before the pounding force of running.”

Also, agility training, with its twists and pivots, is not a good idea with a vest, Laxner said. “The added weight in the upper body can increase rotational forces and may lead to an increased risk of knee, hip, and ankle ligament injuries,” he said.

“Some people, when they see a trend, think they should do it with every single workout and exercise.” That's not true, Laxner said. “Be smart.”