Weighted Vests Are Everywhere Right Now, But Do They Really Benefit Women’s Health?
It’s hard to scroll through fitness content these days without spotting a weighted vest. Influencers are wearing them on neighborhood walks, during squats and lunges, and even while folding laundry.
But what does the science actually say? Are weighted vests a wellness fad or a smart addition to your routine, especially for women navigating midlife health shifts?
What exactly is a weighted vest?
A weighted vest is a wearable garment that evenly distributes extra load across the chest and back. Some come pre-loaded with fixed weight, while others allow you to add or remove small weight bars to match your goals. They’re secured with Velcro or straps, making them practical for a range of activities: from walking and hiking to squats, lunges, and resistance training.
The appeal is simple: by increasing the load your body carries, every step, push-up, or hill climb becomes more demanding and potentially more effective.
5 science-backed benefits of weighted vests for women
Boosts calorie burn
Adding external load means your body has to work harder. Research has found that wearing a vest equal to 10% of body weight led to significantly greater calorie burn1 compared to lighter vests or no vest at all. For women seeking weight management support, this offers a way to increase energy expenditure without necessarily exercising longer.
Builds strength & endurance
Weighted vests provide distributed resistance, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This creates a whole-body conditioning effect, helping to improve both cardiovascular endurance and muscular power. Activities like walking, climbing stairs, or bodyweight exercises become more challenging and more effective.
Supports bone density
Bone health is a particular concern for women in perimenopause and postmenopause, when bone density declines sharply. Weighted vests increase skeletal loading, the mechanical stress bones need to remodel and strengthen.
Studies suggest they may help preserve bone mass 2when paired with resistance or impact activities. While evidence is still preliminary, experts consider them a promising tool for osteoporosis prevention.
Enhances running & athletic performance
Wearing a weighted vest during warm-ups, not the entire run, may give runners a performance boost. In one study3, participants did a short warm-up that included 10-second “strides” while wearing a vest equal to 20% of their body weight. After removing the vest, they ran faster, used less energy, and had better running economy compared to a normal warm-up. Researchers think this happens because the extra load temporarily increases leg stiffness (in a good way), which makes running feel lighter and more efficient once the weight is gone.
For recreational runners, that could mean stronger sprints, improved endurance, and better efficiency over time.
But it’s important to note: these benefits came from short, controlled warm-up strides, not running long distances in a weighted vest. Running with added load for miles can increase impact forces, putting more stress on joints, tendons, and the lower back. If you want to try this method, keep it to brief warm-up intervals and avoid long-distance runs with the vest.
May help with weight maintenance
One of the biggest challenges after weight loss is keeping it off. Here’s where weighted vests get especially interesting.
The gravitostat hypothesis: Can external weight influence metabolism?
Researchers4 have proposed something called the gravitostat hypothesis. The idea is that bone cells in the legs act almost like “weight sensors,” detecting changes in gravitational load (the body’s pressure against the ground) and sending signals to the brain to help regulate energy balance. When body weight drops, this system may respond by increasing appetite and slowing metabolism, essentially nudging the body back toward its previous weight.
In theory, adding a weighted vest could “trick” the body into thinking less weight has been lost, potentially reducing those compensatory responses that often lead to weight regain.
What the research shows & where it falls short
A pilot study4 tested this in adults with obesity who were following a calorie-restricted diet. Both the vest group and the control group lost about the same amount of weight during the initial diet phase.
But at follow-up 18 months later, the vest group had regained significantly less weight. Even more notable, the group wearing vests experienced almost no decline in their resting metabolic rate (RMR), whereas the control group saw the typical drop in RMR that makes long-term weight loss difficult.
At first glance, this seems like strong support for the gravitostat hypothesis. But the study has some important limitations:
- Dietary compliance wasn’t monitored. While both groups were given the same calorie guidelines, it’s possible that those wearing vests ate more (or less) than instructed, which could explain some of the differences.
- Only resting metabolism was measured. RMR reflects calories burned at rest, but not total daily energy expenditure from movement and activity. The vest group may have compensated by moving less due to the extra load, which wouldn’t show up in RMR data.
- The sample size was small, and the follow-up was incomplete. Only about half of the original participants were tracked at the 24-month point, leaving results less reliable.
That said, weighted vests remain a useful fitness tool regardless of the gravitostat theory. They can increase calorie burn, strengthen muscles and bones, and improve conditioning. So even if the “weight tricking” effect turns out to be overstated, weighted vests still offer plenty of benefits for women’s fitness and health.
Practical ways women can use weighted vests
Weighted vests are versatile and relatively simple to incorporate into your routine. For example, they can:
- Add resistance to daily activities like walking, stair climbing, or household chores
- Make bodyweight exercises (planks, squats, pushups) more challenging
- Enhance aerobic conditioning on hikes or treadmill walks
- Provide hands-free resistance when weights or resistance bands aren’t practical
Even wearing one during a brisk walk can give your core and lower body a noticeable workout.
When to use caution
Weighted vests aren’t right for everyone. Women who are pregnant, recovering from spine surgery, or managing back, neck, or joint pain should avoid them unless cleared by a healthcare provider. It’s also smart to start light, just 5–10% of your body weight, and gradually increase as your body adapts.
The takeaway
Weighted vests aren’t a magic bullet, but the research suggests they can be a powerful complement to women’s fitness routines. They may help boost calorie burn, strengthen bones and muscles, enhance endurance, and even support weight maintenance.
Whether your goal is stronger bones, improved conditioning, or simply making movement more engaging, weighted vests offer a practical and promising tool for women at every life stage. That said, weighted vests are best seen as a complement, not a replacement, for traditional strength training, which remains the gold standard for building and protecting muscle long-term.