What Is Rucking?
Rucking is walking for a set distance with a weighted vest or backpack on your back. It started in the military. Soldiers march carrying heavy loads on their backs to train for carrying heavy equipment in the field. Hikers often prepare for long treks in the same way.
Even if you aren’t readying yourself for combat or overnight hiking, rucking can be an excellent full-body workout that strengthens muscles and improves the health of your heart and blood vessels.
Rucking Equipment
While many companies make specialized rucking equipment, all you really need is a backpack and something to weigh it down to get started. You can load up a regular school backpack with books and you’re all set.
You should also have good, supportive walking shoes, breathable clothing, and water for drinking as you go. If you want to gear up with specially made supplies for your rucking, you have several options.
Rucking backpack
A backpack made for rucking is called a rucksack. Rucksacks have some advantages over regular backpacks when it comes to rucking, such as:
- Places designed specifically to hold weights high and tight on your back
- Spots for weights that help evenly spread the impact on your spine and prevent shifting
- Padded shoulder straps for more comfortable wear
- Chest straps to help hold the rucksack firmly to your body so it doesn’t bounce around
Some school backpacks may be bigger than rucksacks, and they may slide around as you walk or poke you in the back. Rucksacks are usually more compact and made for comfort during rucking.
Some rucksacks also come with extra handles on the outside, so you can use them like a kettlebell or dumbbell while doing lunges or overhead presses.
Rucking vest
An alternative to a rucksack is a rucking vest. Rucking vests are made of sturdy material and have pockets for holding small weights. You can add or remove weights depending on how heavy you want the vest to be.
Some vests are one-size-fits-all, and others come in sizes. You want a vest that fits well so it’s not shifting around as you walk.
Rucking weights
If you’re using a regular backpack, you have many options for weighted objects that can add heft to your load. These include:
- Books
- Bottles of water
- Bricks
- Canned goods
- Plastic bags filled with sand, cat litter, rocks, or soil
If you add these household items, weigh them first to keep track of how heavy your pack is. You can also use dumbbells or barbell plates with a known weight. When you use a pack without special compartments for weights, wrap or cushion the items so they don’t shift or poke you as you walk.
How to Start Rucking
Rucking is a good workout option for all fitness levels. If you’re someone who doesn’t currently exercise, start slowly. See how you feel walking without a rucksack before jumping into weighted walks.
You can measure your walk in miles or minutes. You need to be able to walk for at least 30 minutes without feeling tired or short of breath before adding the rucksack to the mix.
When you’re ready to start walking with weights in your rucksack, use light ones first, even if you’ve already been doing other weight training. The strain your body takes on for rucking is different from targeted strength training exercises. Start with 5 to 10 pounds and work up from there.
If you’re already in good shape, and 5-10 pounds feels too light, try walking with 10% of your body weight and build from there. Your goal is to walk a 20-minute mile or less while rucking. If you’re struggling to keep that pace, scale back on your rucksack weights.
Once you’ve built up your endurance, challenge yourself by adding more weight or by walking farther or faster.
Rucking Benefits
Rucking is low-impact, simple, and you don’t need special or expensive equipment to get started. Here’s what it can do for your fitness:
- Add oomph to your existing aerobic workout. Walking is a great physical activity, and by adding weights, you burn more calories and increase the impact of your exercise. Added weight trains your balance and strength, too.
- Increase your low-impact options. If you deal with joint issues or other conditions that limit you to low-impact routines, adding rucking to your workout roster can increase intensity and strength training while keeping the stress on your joints low.
- Improve your endurance. In one study, researchers found that 10 weeks of exercising while carrying weights increased both exercise performance and people’s idea of how hard they could push themselves.
- Maintain muscle strength as you age. As you get older, you lose muscle mass. A study on older women showed that walking with weights improved leg strength and their mobility (ability to get around).
- Build bone. Walking with added weight can improve bone density and help prevent bone loss as you age. This is especially helpful for women after menopause.
- Prevent disease. Rucking, like other types of aerobic and strength-focused physical activities, can help reduce the risk of age-related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sarcopenia (muscle loss), and osteoporosis (weakened bones).
- Boost mental health. Not only does rucking give you the mental health lift that exercise can, it also gets you outdoors. Spending time outside in the fresh air and sunshine, especially if you’re combining it with social connection by rucking in a group, is a winning mental health combo.
Rucking Safety Tips
Like any workout routine, rucking can have some risks. Starting slow is a must, especially if you aren’t doing any exercise. Walking with a rucksack before your body is ready can add strain to parts of your body that aren’t ready for it, and can lead to injuries like stress fractures.
Build up slowly as you go, starting with once or twice a week and eventually getting to rucking every other day. Keep your rucks short in the beginning, walking for about 15-20 minutes, and then add more minutes once that feels easier.
Your shoulders and neck take a lot of the stress during rucking, so pay close attention to how they’re feeling as you go. Stretching workouts like yoga or different kinds of aerobic movements like swimming can help keep muscles loose on days when you’re not rucking.
Don’t forget that all bodies need a rest day. Give yourself 1 day off a week to let your muscles recover.
Can Anyone Try a Rucking Workout?
It’s a good idea to check with your doctor before starting a new workout routine, especially if you have conditions that impact your movement or overall health. Rucking may not be for everyone. Take caution if you:
- Have a neck or back injury. Because of the specific stress a rucksack or weighted vest puts on neck and back muscles, be sure to clear it with your doctor if you’re nursing an injury in those areas.
- Have other injuries or chronic pain. Be sure rucking won’t make any current issues worse.
- Are pregnant. Many people ruck successfully while pregnant. But it’s important to check in not only with your doctor beforehand, but with your body as you go. Don’t overdo your weights, stay hydrated, and walk at a pace that feels comfortable.
Takeaways
Rucking is walking with a weighted pack on your back or while wearing a weighted vest. It’s a low-impact, simple way to improve the health of your heart and blood vessels and build muscle strength with very few risks.
Rucking FAQs
Does rucking really build muscle?
Yes. Studies on weighted exercises like rucking show it can improve your muscle strength and power.
What does rucking do for your body?
It helps you burn calories, increases your aerobic endurance, and helps you maintain muscle as you age. It also helps build bone, boost your mental health, and prevent osteoporosis, sarcopenia (muscle loss), diabetes, and heart disease.
What is the ideal weight for rucking?
If you’re starting out for the first time, begin with unweighted walks, and then gradually add light weights (5-10 pounds). Once you’re at a strong fitness level, see if you can ruck with 10% of your body weight. You should be able to walk at a 20-minute mile or faster pace comfortably while wearing your rucksack.
How far should I ruck as a beginner?
Before you start rucking, you should be able to walk for 30 minutes without issues. Once you pass that benchmark, add weights and walk for 30 minutes to feel the difference. As you get used to rucking, you can walk farther and faster (or add weight).
Is it OK to ruck every day?
Your body does best with at least 1 day of rest a week. You can help avoid muscle overuse and strain by mixing up your activities and adding a day of yoga or swimming to your workout routine.
Can I use a regular backpack for rucking?
Yes. You don’t need a specialized rucksack to get the benefits of rucking. A school backpack with books in it will do the job. Just be sure to outfit your backpack in a way that keeps things from shifting around too much. Tighten the straps and add padding around the weighted items inside so they don’t poke you or move. Wider straps with more padding will feel the most comfortable on your shoulders.
Is a weighted vest the same as rucking?
All that’s required to get the benefits of rucking is to have weights added to your frame as you walk. You can get this by wearing a rucksack, regular backpack with weights inside, or by wearing a weighted vest.
Should you lean forward when rucking?
You should have good, upright posture while rucking. You don’t want to bend over at the waist from the strain of too much weight on your back. This can cause injury from strain.
