7 Benefits of Walking with Weights. Burns twice as many calories as regular walking

Are you looking for a new way to enhance your fitness and add a fun challenge? Tired of traditional exercises and seeking an activity that combines adventure with greater calorie burn? Let us introduce you to Rucking, or walking with weights! This sport offers a comprehensive experience filled with vitality and benefits. Join us in this article to discover its advantages, how to do it, and other details.

What is Rucking (walking with weights)?

Walking with weights is a form of exercise that originated in military training during World War II between 1939 and 1945. Rucking, also known as Ruck Marching, does not require complicated equipment or gym facilities, making it accessible anytime and anywhere. The name “Rucking” derives from the term “Ruck Sack,” a sturdy backpack designed for carrying weights. Simply put, it involves walking short or long distances while carrying a backpack weighing approximately 10% to 20% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 60 kilograms, you can carry a backpack weighing between 6 kilograms (minimum) and 12 kilograms (maximum).

As for distance and time, if you typically walk for 30 minutes, you should start with around 15 minutes of Rucking, which roughly equates to 3 kilometers.

What are the benefits of walking with weights?

Burns twice as many calories as regular walking: Walking with weights leads to burning calories twice as much compared to regular walking. The additional weight increases the body mass that needs to be moved, requiring more energy to maintain the same pace. Of course, the calorie burn rate varies depending on the weight added to the backpack, the distance walked, and the frequency of practicing this exercise per week. You can burn an average of 500 calories per hour while walking with weights, compared to 300 calories per hour during regular walking.

Strengthens core and leg muscles: This exercise helps strengthen muscles throughout the body, especially in the legs, back, shoulders, and core. Core muscles refer to those in the midsection of the body, including abdominal muscles, lower back, hips, sides, and buttocks.

Improves posture: When practiced correctly, this type of walking helps pull the shoulders back, enhancing proper body posture.

Enhances balance: Through this exercise, the body learns to adapt to the additional weight, thereby improving balance and stability.

Increases endurance: The added weight increases the resistance muscles must overcome, leading to increased strength and endurance.

Muscle Loss and Bone Weakness Prevention: This exercise helps combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and osteoporosis, promoting overall bone and muscle health.

General Physical Fitness Improvement: Walking with weights enhances overall physical fitness by requiring the body to exert more effort due to the added weight while walking. This additional effort strengthens muscles and increases cardiovascular endurance for physical exercises.

How to walk with weights properly?

The method of walking with weights involves three basic things:

Choosing a backpack with straps: It doesn’t have to be a backpack specifically designed for walking, but if you have one, you can use it. It’s also important that your backpack includes a chest strap to help stabilize it, distribute the weight evenly, and reduce body movement.

Adding weight to the backpack: All you need to do is put something heavy (according to the weight mentioned above) inside the backpack, like books or weight plates. We recommend starting with light weights and gradually increasing them over time. The same applies to the distance.

Wearing comfortable clothes: It’s important to wear comfortable sports clothes that allow you to move easily, such as leggings.

Wearing sports shoes that meet the following criteria:

• Supportive sole: A supportive and cushioned sole helps provide stability for the foot.
• Breathability: Look for shoes with breathable materials to allow air flow, keeping your feet cool and dry.
• Lightweight: When choosing sturdy shoes, make sure they are also lightweight to reduce fatigue during long walks.
• Ankle support: High-top shoes provide support and stability for the ankle, which is essential when walking with heavy weights.

Warm-up: Before walking with weights, you’ll need to do some warm-up exercises for 5 to 10 minutes. Focus these exercises on your shoulders, neck, and feet.

Walking: Put the backpack on your back and start walking. Begin at a comfortable pace and maintain an upright posture. Over time, you can increase the weight, speed, and distance.

Cool-down: Once you finish walking and remove the backpack, we recommend gently moving your shoulders forward and backward. Then, do some stretching exercises, focusing on the upper body.

Can walking with weights be done daily?

It is preferable to walk with weights two to three times a week at most, and not on consecutive days. We advise you to take a break to avoid fatigue and potential injuries, especially to your shoulders. On the other days of the week, you can engage in other physical activities such as strength training, yoga, and others.

Who should not practice walking with weights?

Many people can safely practice walking with weights due to its numerous benefits. However, there are some cases that may be affected by this exercise, including:

People with back problems: Such as disc issues or herniated discs, where the additional weight can increase pressure on the spine and worsen the condition.

People with knee or hip problems: Such as arthritis or previous injuries, where the weight of the backpack can increase pressure on the joints, leading to pain or further damage.

People with heart conditions: Such as heart failure or uncontrolled high blood pressure, where intense physical activity can increase strain on the heart.

People with respiratory diseases: Such as acute asthma or chronic lung diseases, where the body may struggle to cope with the additional exertion required.

Pregnant women: It’s advisable to consult a doctor before starting any intense physical activity like walking with weights, as there may be impacts on the pregnancy.

People with acute or recent injuries: They should avoid this exercise until fully recovered to prevent worsening the injury and prolonging the recovery period.