12-05-2025
I've Been Walking With a Weighted Vest for Months—Here's How It's Worked for Me
At 49, Leah Pucciarelli is going through perimenopause. But unlike many other women her age, she's managed to avoid the many symptoms that typically come with it.
Her secret? A weighted vest.
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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.
And that's exactly what Pucciarelli has been doing since she got hers last Christmas. "I love walking, and I love the idea that I can continue to do my walk for relaxation and being outside, and then add the weight to it," she tells Parade. "It's a combination of strength training and walking."Since adding a weighted vest to her daily walks, Pucciarelli says she's seen and felt noticeable changes in her body. Below, she shares her story and offers advice for other perimenopausal women who are curious about trying
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.
One of the biggest selling points for Pucciarelli was that the weight on the vest was adjustable, which helped ease her initial hesitation. "The vest itself is 4 pounds with six 1-pound sandbags you can add or take out. I thought, 'Well, it's 4 pounds.' I can handle 4 pounds," she explains.
Since the winter, Pucciarelli has gradually built up to a 10-pound weighted vest.
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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.
Wearing the weighted vest on her walks has strengthened her core muscles, including her abs. Her glutes and quads have also gotten stronger thanks to her overall fitness routine and the added resistance from the vest. Staying active has helped lower her stress levels and may be one reason she's avoided the more unpleasant symptoms of perimenopause.
"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:
Research has shown that weighted vests can be effective in reducing fat mass. That's because they increase physiological stress, meaning your heart beats faster, your breathing speeds up and your body burns more energy to maintain your usual walking one study, participants who wore weighted vests equal to 11% of their body weight for eight hours a day over three weeks lost more weight than those wearing vests with just 1% added weight. That said, even just 5% extra weight can yield results and is often recommended for beginners, since it doesn't put too much strain on muscles or joints.
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.
That being said, weighted vests aren't right for everybody. People with back or neck issues may find that the added weight worsens their pain, since the vest puts eople with back or neck issues might worsen their pain since weighted vests put pressure on the spine.
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If you're thinking about trying a weighted vest, Pucciarelli recommends choosing one with adjustable weight, like hers, which ranges from 4 to 10 pounds. A general rule of thumb is to start with a vest that's about 10% of your body weight.
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.'
By sticking to her routine of weighted walks, Pucciarelli has been able to maintain her active lifestyle without stressing about perimenopause, and is currently using the vest to train for an upcoming hiking trip to Iceland.
"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.
Up Next: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.
