Weighted Vests Can Level Up Your Workouts. Here’s How to Pick the Best One

Wearing a weighted vest can make your workouts more challenging and improve your heart health and muscle strength. Weighted vests have recently become a popular exercise accessory among women in menopause because they help strengthen bone and muscle health. But if a weighted vest doesn’t fit properly, it can strain your back. Here’s how to choose one that’s right for you.

How Do Weighted Vests Enhance Your Workouts?

Studies have shown that weighted vests can improve muscle strength, endurance, balance, and bone density.

“It really has wide benefits; it just depends on what anyone’s goals are,” Sarah N. Harangody, MD, chair of the department of orthopedics at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, told Verywell.

Most people can safely use a weighted vest unless they have an injury, balance issues, or a chronic heart or lung condition.

Typically, you should use a weighted vest that’s around 10% of your body weight, but you can start at a low weight and work your way up to 10%, Harangody said.

“I would just start with [wearing the vest for] a portion of your workout at the lowest weight and then increase both time and weight from there,” she added.

How to Pick the Right Weighted Vest

You can find a weighted vest online or in a sporting goods store for between $15-$300.

“My recommendation is an adjustable one, which can be a little bit more expensive, but you can tailor it and add weight to it in the future, and multiple different people in the family can use it as well because it does have that adjustable weight,” Harangody said.

Wearing a weighted vest that doesn’t fit well can lead to injuries.

“You want to try some on and get one that fits the best and that also distributes the weight evenly front and back,” James N. Gladstone, MD, chief of the division of sports medicine and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System, told Verywell.

Too much load on your back can cause back pain, and too much on the front can cause you to hunch forward, Gladstone added.

Weighted vests are also not the best idea for people who are starting a new fitness routine. Try to get comfortable with the exercises before adding a weighted vest to the mix.

“Get out there and ride a bike, swim, walk briskly, move into a run. Once you’re conditioned into those kinds of activities, if you want to add some weight and force to your workout, then think about the weighted vest,” he said.

When Should You Wear a Weighted Vest?

Rucking, or walking with a weighted backpack, can help burn extra calories and build strength. However, you can also wear a weighted vest during everyday activities to help you build strength.

“If you’re already going out to walk the dog, you can just put your weighted vest on and kill two birds with one stone. Personally, I wear mine when I mow my lawn,” said Chris Kolba, PT, PhD, a physical therapist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

You can also wear a weighted vest to boost gym workouts, like high-intensity interval training or strength training.

It’s a great option for exercise enthusiasts looking to switch up their workout routines, but you get other benefits when you wear the vest on a walk outside, Gladstone said.

“In some ways, using a weighted vest, you’re taking some of the gym with you outdoors and getting all the benefits of sunlight as well,” he added.