I Wore a Weighted Vest and Walked 10,000 Steps a Day for One Month—Was it Worth it?

Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body. As a veteran personal trainer with over three decades of experience, I believe that if more people made walking a daily habit, the world would be a fitter, leaner, healthier place. Studies suggest that people who walk regularly tend to live longer, too (1).

I think that one of the reasons walking is sometimes overlooked as a legit fitness-builder is that, unless you walk very far or quickly or take on steep inclines, it feels too easy to be beneficial.

But don’t let the low-impact, low-intensity nature of walking fool you—even short, gentle walks offer myriad benefits.

That said, I also recognize that many people prefer more challenging workouts and enjoy pushing themselves a little harder.

And that’s where walking with a weighted vest comes in. 

As a former British Royal Marine, I did a lot of walking while carrying heavy loads—often in excess of 100 pounds. While such forced marches were never easy, they did teach me the benefits of weighted vest walking.

I’ve been walking 10,000 steps or more every day for well over a year, and I recently started wondering if wearing a weighted vest would make my daily strolls more effective, or would spoil one of the best parts of my day.

In this article, I put my money where my mouth is and put weighted vest walking to the test.

Why Add a Weighted Vest to Your Walks?

Have you ever heard the expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This popular saying means that there is no need to mess with something that works. And walking without weight is already an effective form of physical activity and exercise that offers a wide range of physical and mental benefits.

So, why add a weighted vest into the mix?

It turns out that there are several science-backed reasons that walking with added weight could be even better for you than unweighted walking. These benefits include:

Increased Energy Expenditure:

Walking with weight forces your muscles to work harder, which increases your kilocalorie expenditure (2). That means you’ll burn more kilocalories per step, which is a valuable benefit if weight loss or fat burning is one of your fitness goals.

Greater Cardiovascular Challenge:

Walking with a weighted vest raises your heart rate more than regular walking, even if you reduce your speed. This means that walking with weight is a bonafide workout offering similar cardio benefits to jogging or running (2).

Improved Muscular Endurance:

No time for squats and lunges? No problem! Walking while carrying additional weight is a great way to overload your leg muscles and make them stronger and more enduring. You’ll also find that unweighted walking feels much easier by comparison (3).

Bone Health and Density Boost:

Weighted vest walking isn’t just good for your muscles—it’s good for your bones, too. Like all other forms of weight-bearing activity, weighted walking stimulates bone growth, reducing the risk of osteoporosis (4).

Enhanced Functional Fitness:

Walking with weight mimics the physical demands of many strenuous real-life activities, such as carrying groceries, walking uphill, carrying your kids/pets., etc. Adding weighted vest walking to your exercise routine will make these activities easier and less tiring (2).

Better Posture and Core Engagement:

Wearing a weighted vest shifts your center of gravity, forcing you to consciously engage your core to maintain good posture. As such, it’s like doing a low-tension plank as you get your steps in (2).

Reading about the benefits was one thing, but now it was time to put theory into practice. The research phase was over—this was where the rubber met the road, literally. I laced up, strapped on the vest, and got walking!

My 30-Day Weighted Vest Walking Plan

As well as learning the joys of weighted walking in the Royal Marines, I was also taught the importance of starting every major undertaking with a plan. As we used to say, failing to plan means planning to fail!

So, with that in mind, this is how I structured my month of walking 10,000 steps a day while wearing a weighted vest.

Load:

To avoid doing too much too soon, I decided to start fairly light and increase the load week by week. This, I hoped, would reduce the risk of aches and pains.

• 1^st week – 7.5 kg/16.5 pounds (approximately 10% of my body weight)
• 2^nd week – 12.5 kg/27.5 pounds
• 3^rd Week – 17.5 kg/38.5 pounds
• 4^th week – 25kg/55 pounds

Distance:

The experiment called for 10,000 steps per day. I didn’t want to wear my weighted vest more than necessary, so I only put it on for what I called “training walks.” Some days I had time to walk all 10,000 steps in a single session, whereas other days I split them into two sessions—AM and PM. However, I made sure that I accumulated 10,000 steps of weighted vest walking per day.

Terrain:

I did all the walks outside around my neighborhood. I live on the top of a hill, so invariably my route always included several climbs and descents, which provided plenty of variety and a natural form of interval training.

Equipment:

I experimented with a couple of different models of weighted vests and also wore a backpack loaded with weight plates to see if I noticed any difference.

Speed:

All walks were done at three miles per hour or faster. I used a smartwatch to monitor my speed, record my heart rate, and map my walks.

Armed with my plan, it was time to put up or shut up and get walking—with weight!

Week 1: Easing In—But Still Harder Than Expected

I have fond memories of doing load-carrying walks in the Marines—they were something I was always good at. So, I figured that a “measly” 7.5 kg/16.5 pounds would present no real challenge.

This was not the case!

Wearing a weighted vest for 90 minutes at a time, which is about how long it takes for me to clock up 10,000 steps, was a shock to the system, and I could really feel it in my shoulders and feet. The extra weight also made me feel clumsy and unbalanced, and I had to pay extra attention to my posture as I walked.

I normally “disengage my brain” during my walks and just let my legs do their thing but, for the first few sessions, I really had to concentrate to avoid trips and falls.

That said, I instantly felt the increased demands of walking with weight, and my heart and breathing rate were noticeably higher. Wearing a weighted vest turned my daily strolls into a genuine workout!

Week 2: Getting Heavier—and Getting into the Groove

After a week of getting used to wearing a weighted vest, I increased the load and started rotating between my two vests and a backpack loaded with weight plates. I wanted to find out which option would be most comfortable.

The vests distributed the load more evenly, as the weight was spread between the front and the back. However, the pack had more shoulder and back padding, so while the weight was all to the rear, it was a little more comfortable.

This was useful information because weighted vests are often expensive, but most people have a backpack they can load with household items. So, the good news is that you don’t have to buy a weighted vest—just dust off your old school bag and load it with books, water bottles, cans of food, etc. Getting fit doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

Walking-wise, the added weight increased both my heart rate and energy expenditure but not enough to make things too challenging—yet.

Week 3: The Struggle Begins: Faster, Heavier, But Fitter

17.5 kg/38.5 pounds is not an especially heavy weight—my dog weighs almost twice that and I can lift him with relative ease. However, shouldering this load for 90 minutes a day was starting to take its toll on my feet, ankles, and shoulders.  

The extra load was compressing my shoes, making them less supportive and reducing their shock absorbency. I remedied this by breaking out my trusty hiking boots, which I normally reserve for more challenging hikes. The extra support was very welcome and helped alleviate my sore feet and ankles.

The vest and backpack were starting to make my shoulders sore, so the last 5,000 or so steps per day were quite uncomfortable. This was not intolerable but certainly took a little of the enjoyment out of my walks. It was definitely a relief to ditch the weight at the end of each walk.

These minor drawbacks aside, I noticed that my walking speed was naturally increasing, and the hills were less challenging. I was getting noticeably fitter despite only doing walking for cardio.  

Week 4: The Final Stretch

I started week four with trepidation: my vests and backpack weighed a hefty 25kg/55 pounds, and each walk was now a battle against the discomfort of carrying such a heavy load on my shoulders.

Still, I’ve never quit a challenge before, and I was determined to see this one through to the end. Plus, I wanted to find out whether the extra weight was going to provide any additional benefits—was the juice worth the squeeze?

So, I laced up my boots, pulled on my weighted vest, and got to work. By now my neighbors were used to seeing me slog up and down the hills of my neighborhood, and no longer thought I was leaving home!

I can’t say I enjoyed this final week, but I sure was glad when it was all over. However, I did enjoy the challenge and felt very satisfied when I completed the last day of walking 10,000 steps with a weighted vest.

How did this challenge affect my body? Keep reading to find out!

My Results From 30 Days of Walking 10,000 Steps a Day in a Weighted Vest

After a full month of daily weighted walks—up hills, in the rain, and under an increasing load—it was time to check the scoreboard. I didn’t expect a total body transformation, but I was curious to see if this simple, no-frills challenge produced any measurable results.

Here’s what the numbers said:

Before

• Body Weight: 181 pounds
• Body Fat Percentage: 11.5%
• Resting Heart Rate: 51 bpm
• V0₂ Max: 45

After

• Body Weight: 179 pounds
• Body Fat Percentage: 10.5%
• Resting Heart Rate: 48 bpm
• V0₂ Max: 49

While the results weren’t dramatic, it’s reassuring to know I didn’t suffer in vain. Walking with a weighted vest clearly turned my daily walks into a more effective workout.

That said, heavier isn’t always better, and I found that light to moderate loads delivered most of the benefits without the discomfort that came with going too heavy—striking a better balance between effort and enjoyment.

Closing Thoughts

Walking with a weighted vest—in my experience at least—can be just as effective for fitness and fat loss as more conventional cardio workouts, such as running or cycling. However, it’s not the most comfortable way to exercise, especially once the load crosses a certain threshold.

That said, if you’ve got a weighted vest and want to make walking better for fitness and weight control, wearing it during your daily walks could save you from having to do additional cardio, freeing up time to spend on other things.

And if you already enjoy walking, a weighted vest might be the easiest way to turn a good habit into a great one.

Related: 10 Best Weighted Vest Exercises and 5 Workouts for Next-Level Bodyweight Training

References:

1. Klenk J, Dallmeier D, Denkinger MD, Rapp K, Koenig W, Rothenbacher D; ActiFE Study Group. Objectively Measured Walking Duration and Sedentary Behaviour and Four-Year Mortality in Older People. PLoS One. 2016 Apr 15;11(4):e0153779. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153779. PMID: 27082963; PMCID: PMC4833405.
2. Puthoff ML, Darter BJ, Nielsen DH, Yack HJ. The effect of weighted vest walking on metabolic responses and ground reaction forces. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):746-52. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000210198.79705.19. PMID: 16679992.
3. Wills JA, Drain J, Fuller JT, Doyle TLA. Physiological Responses of Female Load Carriage Improves after 10 Weeks of Training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Aug;52(8):1763-1769. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002321. PMID: 32102055.
4. Greendale GA, Salem GJ, Young JT, Damesyn M, Marion M, Wang MY, Reuben DB. A randomized trial of weighted vest use in ambulatory older adults: strength, performance, and quality of life outcomes. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2000 Mar;48(3):305-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb02651.x. PMID: 10733058.

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