Troy Hurst holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Carroll University. He is a physical therapist specializing in both athletic and vestibular rehabilitation with an emphasis on performance running.
When we think of walking, we think of a stroll in the park or a way to get from one place to another. However, walking is hardly the solution to our fitness woes.
Regardless, many of us could benefit from moving our bodies more.
A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of health problems such as:
It’s no wonder the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, including walking, each week (2).
A straightforward way to increase the intensity of your walking routine is to incorporate weights.
The added strength challenge could be:
But before you grab your dumbbells and hit the pavement, it’s essential to understand the benefits, risks, and tips for walking with weights.
Walking with weights can be an effective way to amplify your fitness routine.
It offers benefits such as increased calorie burn and improved muscle engagement but also has risks (3).
1. Boosted Calorie Burn
Adding weights increases the intensity of your walk, which can help you burn more calories in the same amount of time (4). Burning more calories is excellent to lose weight or maintain your current fitness level.
2. Improved Muscle Engagement
Hand or wrist weights encourage your arms and shoulders to work harder, while ankle weights can target your lower-body muscles.
Over time, this can lead to improved muscle strength.
3. Enhanced Cardiovascular Benefits
Weighted walking can give your cardiovascular system a more effective workout by slightly increasing your heart rate. It’s an easy way to make your walk a bit more challenging.
Weights add resistance, forcing your body to work harder and adapt over time.
The strength training boosts cardiovascular and muscular endurance, making tackling longer or more challenging walks easier. With consistent practice, you’ll notice that climbing steep hills or sustaining extended activities feels less exhausting.
4. Strengthened Bone Health
Weight-bearing activities contribute to stronger bones (5). Adding light weights to your walk may also help build bones, supporting long-term bone health as you age.
5. Improved Core Engagement
Incorporating weights into your walking routine can engage your core muscles to a greater extent.
As you carry the weights, your abdominal and back muscles stabilize your body to maintain proper form. Over time, this stabilization effort can contribute to improved core strength and stability.
6. Promotes Body Awareness
Walking with weights can help you better understand how your body moves.
Walking with hand weights exercises, ankle weights, or a weighted vest involves listening to your body’s signals.
Listening to your body means noticing when:
This heightened body awareness can prevent overexertion and minimize poor movement habits.
Read more: How Long Does It Take To Lose 45 Pounds By Walking?
1. Joint Strain
Extra weight can stress your joints, mainly your knees, hips, and ankles.
This joint strain could increase the risk of joint pain or injury if you’re not used to performing weighted exercises or have pre-existing joint pain or conditions.
2. Improper Technique Risks
Holding weights may alter your gait mechanics and exaggerate any compensations, which, if left uncorrected, can lead to overuse injuries.
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3. Higher Risk Of Injury
Heavier weights or jumping into a weighted walking routine too quickly can result in overexertion or injuries such as:
4. Less Focus On Walking Form
For some, adding weights can distract from perfecting walking posture and stride.
Improper form may reduce the overall benefits of exercise and increase the risk of injury.
Walking with weights can gradually tone your arms.
Walking with dumbbells muscles worked:
While this may increase grip strength, significant muscle hypertrophy is unlikely without additional strength training (6).
Activities like push-ups, dumbbell exercises, or resistance band routines are complements. Walking with weights is more effective for increasing endurance and grip strength than building substantial muscle mass.
Also, to see noticeable changes in muscle strength, size, and definition, it’s crucial to pair your workouts with proper rest, hydration, and a healthy diet (7).
Overall fitness influences muscle definition, so consider walking with weights as one component of your exercise plan rather than the sole focus.
Deciding how long to walk with weights depends on your fitness level, the type and amount of weight used, and overall exercise goals.
Strike the right balance between pushing yourself and staying safe to avoid overexertion or injury (8).
Here’s how you can determine the ideal duration for your weighted walks.
If you’re new to walking with weights, it’s best to start conservatively.
Begin with short sessions lasting 10-15 minutes while using light weights, such as:
You can complete the rest of your walk without weights to ensure you still meet your workout goals while minimizing fatigue.
As your strength and endurance improve, gradually extend the time you carry weights during your walk.
Alternatively, you can break your walk into segments.
For instance, you should use weights for the middle portion of a 30-minute walk, allowing time at the beginning and end for lighter movements without added resistance.
Explore the benefits, risks, and beginner tips in our detailed guide – Walking With Weighted Vest.
Walking with heavy weights can amplify your workout by increasing muscle engagement and calorie burn, but it’s not without risks. However, it can be a valuable addition to your fitness routine when done correctly and with proper precautions.
Ensure you lift weights that match your strength training level; otherwise, you can increase your risk of injury, particularly in your joints and lower back.
1. Consider Your Fitness Level And Experience
Start with light weights (1-3 pounds per hand or a 5-10-pound vest). This weight helps your body adapt to the additional load without overloading your joints.
Gradually progress to medium or heavier weights, such as the best hand weights for walking, 8-10-pounds, or a 20-pound weighted vest.
2. Align With Your Goals
Use moderate weights that challenge you without disrupting your natural stride. This balanced endurance helps engage your muscles without compromising your form.
Incorporate heavier weights for shorter sessions to focus on resistance training.
Avoid long walks with heavy weights to reduce the risk of fatigue-related injuries.
3. Test The Weight
4. Start Light And Progress Gradually
5. Listen To Your Body
Over time, you’ll learn what your body can handle and when to scale back.
Read more: Walking 15 Minutes A Day Is Good For You And Here’s Why
Daily walking with weights can be beneficial, but listening to your body and adjusting as needed is essential.
Here are some potential outcomes of daily weighted walks:
Use proper form and progressively increase the weight to avoid injuries.
Daily walking with weights may put you at risk of overtraining, leading to fatigue or injury.
Whether daily weighted walking suits you depends on the following:
Whether walking with or without weights is better depends on your fitness goals, health considerations, and personal preferences.
Adding light weights while walking is excellent for engaging your arms, shoulders, and core, especially with intentional movements like curls or presses.
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Walking with or without weights can contribute to overall fat loss, including arm fat, as it burns calories (9). Incorporating weights and targeted arm exercises during your walk to specifically tone your arms can help engage and strengthen arm muscles. However, spot reduction isn’t possible; fat loss occurs throughout the body. We discuss maximizing calorie burning using this simple exercise in our post – Calories Burned Walking 30 Minutes. No, most trainers and fitness experts advise against wearing wrist weights all day. Prolonged use can strain joints and muscles, potentially causing discomfort or injury. To avoid unnecessary stress, use wrist weights during specific workouts and remove them during daily activities. Yes, walking with weights can help tone your legs by engaging and strengthening the leg muscles, such as the quads, hamstrings, and calves. Adding ankle weights or using a weighted vest increases resistance, promoting muscle definition over time. We explore in greater detail how Walking With Ankle Weights Benefits your leg strength and helps sculpt these muscles. Yes, walking with weights benefits weight loss and helps burn more calories, which can contribute to fat loss when combined with a healthy diet (10). The added resistance from weights increases energy expenditure, making your workout more effective at burning fat than unweighted walking.Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lose arm fat by walking?
Is it good to wear wrist weights all day?
Does walking with weights tone legs?
Does walking with weights burn more fat?
Walking with or without weights offers distinct benefits, and the decision depends on your unique needs.
Adding weights can make your walk more challenging, boosting calorie burn and muscle engagement, but it comes with risks of overuse injury if not adequately prepared for or if overdone. Walking without weights is gentler, promotes natural movement, and is excellent for beginners or longer sessions. Ultimately, finding the balance that works for you—and listening to your body—is key.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
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