JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Weighted vests are being used to lose weight, but do they really work? Most importantly, are they safe?
News4JAX Anchor Jenese Harris tried on a weighted vest, with the help of a doctor who said these vests are not for everyone.
Whether it is from word of mouth or social media, people are adding lots of pounds to their bodies to lose weight.
Tiara Mathis said she has been using a weighted vest for about 45 days.
Mathis wears a 16-pound vest. She remembered what it was like the first time she put it on.
“Oh my God, it’s heavy!” she recalled.
Mathis said she has personally felt a difference.
“It has helped me with my endurance, pushing myself,” she said.
However, the same way Mathis is pushing herself may not be good for everyone.
News4JAX took a road trip to the University of Florida to learn more about how these weighted vests affect the body.
Doctor Benjamin Gordon is an assistant instructional professor at the College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida. He helped News4JAX Anchor Jenese Harris put the weighted vest to the test with the help of a monitor attached to her waist.
First, she walked at 3 miles per hour with an incline of four and no vest.
She then put on a 20-pound vest for three minutes with an incline.
“When you look at most recommendations and studies on vests, they do say don’t go over 10 percent of your body weight,” Gordon said.
Harris felt her rate go up.
“This is heavy,” she said.
Gordon said that’s one way people get themselves into trouble with a weighted vest.
“It’s not as taxing on the cardiovascular system. It’s most taxing on the muscles and the joints,” Gordon said.
Gordon said the weight is putting stress on the joints.
Muscular imbalances are more likely and issues like plantar fasciitis.
“I do feel it in my mid to upper back,” Harris said. “As if it’s straining. It’s taking the load.”
“Because of the mechanics, it can change the way you would normally walk,” Gordon said.
Gordon said this weighted vest trend was inspired by the military from a thing called rucking.
By definition, “a military ruck is a long-distance march with a weighted backpack.”
Gordon shared the pros and cons of using a weighted vest.
“It can be a very good, intense workout, both cardiovascular and for the lower body,” Gordon said.
But he said there are also cons.
“It can be dangerous in the long-term sense of regular walking without any load,” he said. “For some individuals, weighted walking can be a great workout. For some individuals, it’s a horrible idea.”
As for Mathis, she’s reaching her goals safely with just enough to lose weight without harming herself.
If you are sedentary, Gordon said this is not something people want to start with.
Also, make sure to follow the American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines, and before you start with a weighted vest, you should be able to do cardio three to five times, 30 to 60 minutes as a baseline.