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Trends: hype vs evidence

Rucking and weighted vests

Walking with a loaded backpack or vest. Simple, social and cheap, with less research than the hype suggests.

Written by Joshua Baskin, founderLast reviewed How we check facts

Verdict: Promising

Adding load makes walking harder and burns more energy at the same pace. That is well established. Long-term studies of rucking in everyday adults are still thin.

What it is

Rucking is walking with weight on your back, borrowed from military training. Weighted vests do the same job with the load spread around your torso.

Why it is trending

Ruck clubs, weighted-vest walking for women in midlife, and "walking but harder" content made it one of the top-searched fitness terms of 2025–2026.

How to try it safely

  • Start light: about 5–10% of body weight, or less. Add weight or distance, not both in the same week.
  • Keep the load high and tight on the back. Wear supportive shoes.
  • Begin on flat ground for 20–30 minutes, two or three times a week.
  • Stop if you feel joint, back or foot pain. Check with a clinician first if you have back, knee or bone problems or are pregnant.

Sources

  1. The effect of weighted vest walking on metabolic responses and ground reaction forces. PubMed 16679992
  2. A systematic review of the physiological and biomechanical differences between males and females in response to load carriage during walking activities. PubMed 37625283

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