If you run regularly or you are a beginner, this article will show you the benefits of running with a weighted vest.
Running is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health. It can also be extremely rewarding for those looking to lose belly fat.
However, you won’t get the most out of your workouts if you use the same running routine. That’s why you need to switch things up and start running with a weighted vest.
Weighted vests are a great way to add strength training to your running sessions. Below are some of the benefits of running with a weighted vest.
Benefits of Running with a Weighted Vest
1. Increased Calorie Burn
While cardio workouts such as running and jumping rope can help burn calories, they are not effective for building muscle.
Adding a weighted vest to your workouts will boost muscle growth. As you may know, we burn more calories during and after a workout when we have more muscle.
According to WebMD, “10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories”.
In addition, the excess weight from the vest will force your body to work harder and burn more calories.
2. Improves Aerobic Performance
According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, training with weight vests can improve aerobic performance.
Running with a weighted vest increases the pull of gravity on your body. That extra pull makes the exercise more demanding for your cardiovascular system. As time goes by, your heart and lungs grow stronger.
In another study, researchers found that people who exercised with weighted vests about 10% of their body weight improved their VO2 max (aerobic capacity) while those who didn’t train with a vest didn’t show such improvements.
3. Improves Running Form
Running with a weighted vest can help you perfect your form and technique because it helps strengthen your weak points.
The extra weight of the vest makes it very uncomfortable to run with bad technique. Therefore, you become more observant of your running technique and work towards correcting any flaws in your running form.
4. Promotes Endurance and Strength
Running with a weighted vest can help improve strength and endurance.
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, subjects experienced a 30 percent increase in leg strength and 11-13 percent increase in short-term endurance during running and cycling after training with weighted vests three days a week for ten weeks.
Running with a vest makes your leg and butt muscles work harder, causing them to grow bigger and stronger.
When it’s time to run the real race, you will have more strength and endurance than someone who runs without a vest.
5. Improves Balance and Posture
Wearing a weighted vest during your runs and other workouts may improve your balance and posture.
The extra weight added to your body by the vest forces your core to work harder to balance your body. As your core becomes stronger, your posture will improve.
Add these bodyweight exercises to your routine to improve your posture.
6. Stronger Bones
Running with a weighted vest can also provide musculoskeletal benefits. A weighted vest forces the bones to bear extra weight, which makes them grow stronger over time.
It is important to strengthen your bones, as you grow older to lower the risk of osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
Note that using different strength equipment and accessories can go a long way in strengthening your bones.
7. Improves Breathing Technique
A weighted vest can help you breathe from the diaphragm, rather than the chest.
If you strap the vest tightly against your stomach, you will remember to move your stomach in and out as you breathe.
8. Helps increase workout intensity
You can use a weighted vest to increase the intensity of your running workouts.
Chances are your gains will stall after your body gets used to running. Wearing weighted vests can increase the intensity of your workouts and help you overcome a running plateau.
Another advantage of increasing your running intensity is that you can complete your workout in a few minutes.
Numerous studies show that short high-intensity workouts can be more rewarding than long steady workouts.
In fact, weighted vests allow you to increase the intensity of your workout gradually since most brands are adjustable. All you have to do is add or remove the weights to suit your desired exercise intensity.
Weighted vests can help you maximize the benefits of your runs by helping you burn more calories, improving your cardiovascular system, boosting your strength, making your muscles and bones stronger, and increasing your endurance and stamina.
You may also want to wear a weighted vest when doing full body exercises or walking. If you don’t have a weighted vest, buy one on Amazon.
If you are running for weight loss, remember that your diet is very important. The VFX BODY program will show you diet changes that can help you lose belly fat without starving yourself.
Lastly, wear a light vest if you’re a beginner. Preferably, less than 10 percent of your body weight. For instance, if you weigh 180 pounds, wear an 18-pound vest or lighter. Heavy weighted vests increase the risk of injury.
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