Do you really help you unknown vests to get in shape faster? Experts weigh

In the fitness class Jessie Syfko created for a nationwide gym chain, the practitioners wear weighted vests that add a challenge to their workouts.

“People start to realize how well you feel a little more and a little smarter,” without really changing what they are doing, said Syfko, a senior vice president for life -time gyms.

Weighted dresses are increasingly appearing in fitness classes and jogging tracks, provided by social media impacts as a way to maintain healthy bones, improve performance and even accelerate weight loss. They are exactly what sounds – vests that add to the resistance to the pockets with mobile weights.

But there is a lack of strong research for their benefits, experts say, so it is unclear how much of the hype is justified. And some people, such as the elderly or those who are pregnant, need to be careful about using them.

Here are the possible benefits of weighted vests

When you think about how exercise works, the idea that a weighted vest will help you meet fitness goals such as weight loss, muscle growth, or prevent bone loss can make sense on the surface. The weight gain to the vest adds resistance to your daily activities without changing your patterns.

Dresses, in fact, can provide benefits to healthy adults, experts say – though no one should expect transformative or immediate results. Jeff Monaco, a certified force coach who teaches medical skills at the University of Texas in Austin, said while you may not lose much more calories during a weighted vest exercise, resistance from vests can result in better sports performance over time.

“There are many studies that look at (weighted vest) from a perspective of speed in various athletics, such as football, with direction of change, versatility and speed, etc.,” he said.

You will begin to see those benefits by adding about 10% of your body weight to the vest, he said. If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, it means adding a total of 15 pounds to the vest.

But research outside the sport is not so clear.

A 2020 study by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina found that adults between 60 and 85 years old, who wore weight vests at moments during the day when they were more active for the same amount of weight as those who did not wear them.

They also lost the same amount of bone density, which occurs while we grow old, but can slow down by building muscle.

Here’s how to use safely weighted vests

Experts encourage people to use safely weighted vests.

It is better to start by adding between five to 10 percent of your body weight. Wearing a vest that is too heavy can make unnecessary strain on your joints, back and hips. This additional load can throw your behavior, lead to weak shape, or even result in stress fractures over time.

Some people should consult a doctor before throwing a vest, said Dr. Elizabeth Gardner, a team doctor for athletes at Yale University. They include people who are pregnant, suffer from heart and respiratory conditions or have injuries to the back or neck.

You will need to use the muscles in your abdomen to use a weighted vest effectively, Gardner said, and this can be tougher for those who already manage back pain.

Before you start using a vest, Monaco said it is always useful to get guidance from someone who has experience with them, “just to make sure your movements are good, your shape is good, to have the upper muscular body, muscular strength and durability to support it during your movements.”

But as long as you use it properly, he said, a weighted vest can be “a good tool to have in your tool box”.