Her secret? A weighted vest.
Weighted vests are the latest fitness trend taking over social media, offering a way to tone your body without stepping foot in a gym. They typically cost between $30 and $60, depending on the weight, and unlike bulky equipment like a Peloton bike, they’re compact enough to wear under a jacket.
Leah's Weighted Walking Routine
For months, Pucciarelli has incorporated weighted walks into her routine, typically walking 45 minutes to an hour around her neighborhood. "My neighborhood has some nice hills, and when I wear the vest, I feel a really good workout in my lower body," she says.
Now that the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer, she’s been walking daily, aiming for at least four to five weighted walks each week.
Leah Pucciarelli taking a walk with her weighted vest.Since the winter, Pucciarelli has gradually built up to a 10-pound weighted vest.
Health Benefits of Walking With a Weighted Vest
Pucciarelli has always been an active person, working as a yoga instructor and regularly going to the gym. She's also an avid walker, but now nearing 50, she was concerned about the muscle loss and joint pain many women experience during menopause. Adding the weighted vest has helped her increase bone density and improve overall strength.
The vest has also helped her maintain better posture and reduce stress on her neck and shoulders. "I feel like I'm walking around my neighborhood with a weighted blanket that forces the shoulders down," Pucciarelli explains.
Leah Pucciarelli walking with her weighted vest."I don't really have symptoms other than forgetfulness," she says. "Though I believe there's a lot that goes into it, and it's a whole healthy lifestyle."Related: The Shortest Amount of Time to Walk to See Results
The Science of Weighted Vests
Weighted vests may also help with maintaining bone health. A well-known older study actually helped popularize their use, since it found that postmenopausal women who regularly wore weighted vests for five years were able to prevent bone loss. Other research has shown that weighted vests can reduce the loss of hip bone mineral density and encourage bone formation in older adults with obesity.
Related: Worst Habit for Joint Health and How to Reduce Joint Pain
How To Get Started
It’s also important to ease into the routine. Pucciarelli suggests getting used to the feel of the added weight by wearing the vest during shorter walks, or even around the house, before heading out for longer strolls.
While it may be tempting to keep increasing the weight, Pucciarelli cautions against going over that 10% mark to avoid potential injuries. “Ten pounds is about that for me because I’m petite,” she explains. “So I’ll just walk longer with it and save the heavy strength training for the gym.”
Leah Pucciarelli showing the additional weights on the back of her weighted vest."I know I’ll be carrying a backpack often, and I’m hoping that by wearing my weighted vest in the weeks leading up to the trip, I’ll be stronger and better prepared," she says.
Related: 10,000 Steps a Day? Here’s the Real Number Your Body Actually Needs
Sources:
Leah Pucciarelli is a yoga instructor and founder at Living Well With Leah.Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects – A proof of concept randomized clinical trial. eClinicalMedicine.Weighted vests in CrossFit increase physiological stress during walking and running without changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters. Egonomics.Long-term Exercise Using Weighted Vests Prevents Hip Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women. The Journals of Gerontology Series A.Weighted Vest Use during Dietary Weight Loss on Bone Health in Older Adults with Obesity. Journal of Osteoporosis & Physical Activity.Wearable weights: How they can help or hurt. Harvard Health Publishing. Read More Details
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