Wearing a Weighted Vest for Women in Mid-Life
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by Joanne Angel Barry Colon, Wholistic Personal Trainer, Intuitive Healer & Cosmic Energy Reader
Joanne Angel Barry Colon has 30+ years in the health, fitness, and wellness industry. She is the Wholistic Fitness owner located in Queens, New York, a certified holistic personal trainer, intuitive healer, cosmic energy reader, student of Astrology, Master of Numerology, and Creator of Chakra Balance Numerology Cosmic Energy Forecast Deck.
As women move through their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, maintaining muscle strength, bone health, balance, and mobility becomes increasingly important. One fitness tool receiving more attention among women in midlife is the weighted vest.
A weighted vest is designed to distribute additional weight around the upper body while allowing your hands to remain free. When appropriately incorporated into a walking or strength-training program, it can add resistance and create a new challenge for the body.
However, more weight does not necessarily mean better results. A weighted vest should be introduced gradually and based on the individual woman's current strength, posture, joint health, movement patterns, and fitness level.
The benefits of a weighted vest
One potential benefit of weighted-vest training is the additional weight-bearing stimulus placed on the body. During midlife, hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and postmenopause can contribute to changes in bone density. Walking while carrying additional resistance may increase the mechanical demand placed on the bones.
A weighted vest can also make your regular walk more challenging without requiring you to start running. Because your body is carrying additional weight, your muscles must work harder to move and stabilize you. Your cardiovascular system may also work harder compared with walking the same route without additional resistance.
Another benefit is progressive overload. Progressive overload means gradually increasing the demands placed on the muscles so they have a reason to adapt and become stronger.
A vest can be incorporated into exercises such as squats, step-ups, lunges, calf raises, and certain walking workouts. Because your hands remain free, some women may also find a vest more comfortable than carrying weights while walking.
Weighted-vest training may support functional fitness as well. Everyday life requires us to carry groceries, climb stairs, lift objects, maintain our balance, and move our bodies against resistance. Training with appropriate additional resistance can help prepare the body for these daily demands.
The cons and precautions
Weighted vests are not appropriate for every woman or every workout.
Adding too much weight too quickly can increase stress on the knees, hips, ankles, feet, and lower back. A poorly fitted or excessively heavy vest can also change your walking mechanics and posture. You may begin leaning forward, shortening your stride, or compensating through other areas of your body.
Pelvic-floor health should also be considered. Women experiencing pelvic-floor weakness, urinary leakage, pelvic pressure, or prolapse symptoms may find that additional downward pressure aggravates their symptoms.
Women with osteoporosis, previous fractures, significant joint concerns, balance difficulties, or other medical considerations should speak with their healthcare provider and an appropriately qualified fitness professional before beginning weighted-vest training.
How I would introduce a weighted vest
Before introducing a weighted vest to your walking routine, schedule an assessment.
An assessment allows your fitness professional to evaluate your posture, balance, gait, mobility, strength, core stability, current exercise program, and any movement limitations. It provides a starting point for determining whether adding external weight to your walk is appropriate for your body.
I would not begin by simply putting on a heavy vest and completing your normal walking distance.
For a healthy woman who has been cleared for weighted-vest exercise, I would generally begin conservatively, often around 5% of body weight or less, depending on her assessment and training experience. A 160-pound woman, for example, would have 8 pounds representing 5% of her body weight.
Begin with approximately 10 to 15 minutes of walking and observe how your body responds. Pay attention to posture, breathing, balance, joint comfort, pelvic-floor sensations, and how you feel later that day and the following day.
Progress gradually rather than increasing weight and duration simultaneously.
Most importantly, a weighted vest should complement, not replace, a comprehensive strength-training program.
During midlife, our goal is not simply to burn more calories. We are training to preserve muscle, bone strength, balance, mobility, independence, and confidence as we move through the Wise Woman years.
The weighted vest can be another valuable tool in your wholistic fitness toolbox when it is introduced with intention, proper assessment, progressive overload, and respect for your body's individual needs.
Read more from Joanne Angel Barry Colon
Joanne Angel Barry Colon, Wholistic Personal Trainer, Intuitive Healer & Cosmic Energy Reader Joanne Angel Barry Colon has 30+ years in the health, fitness, and wellness industry. She is the owner of Wholistic Fitness located in Queens, New York, a certified holistic personal trainer, intuitive healer, cosmic energy reader, student of Astrology, Master of Numerology, and Creator of Chakra Balance Numerology Cosmic Energy Forecast Deck. She is the Host of Joanne's Healing Within TV Show, Joanne's Cosmic Energy Radio Show, and Author/Self-Publisher. Joanne's mission is to help women (men by referral) release issues from their tissues as they release emotional weight and fall in love with themselves while witnessing their transformation into the best version of themselves.
