The first weighted vest I owned looked like something Liam Neeson might wear to confront the people who had kidnapped his daughter. Blocky, heavy, and stuffed with weights, I managed to wear it for around a month\u2019s worth of workouts before ultimately shoving it on Facebook Marketplace. I couldn\u2019t have foreseen then that weighted vests\u2014once reserved for CrossFitters\u2014would shortly become key to the fit-girl content that floods my TikTok. That Facebook Marketplace shopper’s gain. Now, a weighted vest is being touted as a ticket to better cardio ability, increased bone density, and increased muscle mass. Naturally, I wanted to try again.<\/p>\n
After picking up my much sleeker 5-pound weighted vest from Omorpho<\/a>, my first challenge was to get it home. The very obvious solution of just wearing it eluded me at the time, so I transferred the cumbersome box from shoulder to shoulder, instead. Once home, I committed to walking in it at least three times a week, keen to see if it would change how I felt. At the very least, I suspected it would add a little spice to my standard walk\u2014something Holly Haywood, lead instructor at Third Space Soho<\/a>, confirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cWalking in a weighted vest adds additional resistance and increases the intensity of your workout without needing to change the pace or length of your walk,\u201d she tells Vogue. So more bang for the same buck? I\u2019m listening. \u201cThis can help improve cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular endurance,\u201d she continues. \u201cIt can also have positive effects on bone density (similar to resistance training), which is especially important as we get older.\u201d<\/p>\n TikTok content<\/p>\n