Weighing in on weighted vests

You can’t fail to have spotted them around- seems the whole world is wearing one these days. And full disclosure- I do own one (though it’s gathering dust in the garage). But are they any good for you or are they just a fad?

I can only speak from a Yoga point of view. I’m all for building strength and stamina. It’s important to work on retaining muscle. After age 30 we all start to lose muscle mass - as much as 3-5% per decade. Social media and health and wellness influencers seem to be touting weighted vests as a short cut to muscle building. But like most get rich quick schemes it’s just not that straightforward. Building and maintaining muscle takes consistent effort, not just a quick dog walk around the block in your weighted vest.

More importantly there are some serious downsides to wearing a weighted vest. Your joints might not share your excitement; adding extra load shifts the way you move. For example- if you’re already showing a tendency towards “text neck” (and who isn’t these days?!) then a weighted vest is going to put an extra load on your thoracic spine and shoulders, pulling everything further forward. It’s a recipe for more neck pain and tension. There are also some underlying conditions- for example osteopenia or osteoporosis where wearing a weighted vest is not a great idea at all.

So. Obviously I’m going to advocate for Yoga here but in all seriousness there is evidence that a regular practice can help with conditions like osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, balance and coordination. Some kinds of Yoga (especially Iyengar) work on isometric strength by holding poses for a long time which can help maintain muscle mass.

But the best answer? Moderation (something else Yoga philosophy teaches!). Do all of the things some of the time. Strength training, Yoga, cardio. Yes, even the weighted vest in moderation.