Rucking is the new walking.
The latest: A new study found individuals with obesity and arthritis who wore a weighted vest daily during dietary interventions maintained a higher metabolic rate and regained less weight over time.
While researchers recommend passive weight bearing as a first-line metabolic tool, fitness enthusiasts are turning rucking into a performance and lifestyle upgrade.
Full-body upgrade. Linked to improved strength, endurance, and bone density, the benefits of weighted walks—via vest or pack—are stacking up.
With ruck clubs and social media adding momentum, weighted vests sales jumped 50% YoY to $27M, per Circana.
Strap in. Seizing the moment, fitness brands are getting on board — with Peloton adding rucking content for TREAD, Equinox co-branding vests with KILOGEAR for in-club classes, and Orangetheory integrating OMORPHO’s weighted apparel.
Closer to its roots, MADabolic’s outdoor extracurriculars are powered by GORUCK, while Garmin plans to roll out a rucking-specific activity tracking.
Power stroll. Combating menopause-associated weight gain, muscle loss, and osteoporosis, some women see rucking as a cheat code for their most-logged activity, walking.
Filling a gap, Carry designed a weighted vest tailored for women’s bodies, while GORUCK is launching women’s gear and hosting female-led rucking + yoga retreats.
Punchline: Rucking hasn’t reached run club-level hype yet. But with the right engagement, education, and innovation, it could become a staple of functional fitness.
