TikTok thinks a weighted vest will change your body. Here's what the science says
'It's my weighted vest era,' menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver posted to Instagram. 'Walk as much as you can in a weighted vest and you will be unrecognizable,' one TikTok creator wrote. 'This is my clubbing,' another creator posted. 'The strobe lights are the stars I see while walking 3 miles in 90 degrees with a 30lb weighted vest on.'
From the $30 Zelus vest dominating your For You Page (often linked through influencers' Amazon storefronts) to a sleek 20-pound version from Equinox priced at $375, the concept is simple: Adding weight to your walks, runs, or workouts may help boost endurance and stamina. Now fitness and wellness creators are also promoting it as a weight-loss hack, with some claiming they've shed up to 30 pounds just by incorporating daily walks with the vest.
But what does the science say? In one frequently cited study, participants wore weighted vests equal to 11% of their body weight for eight hours per day over three weeks and lost an average of 3.5 pounds. Another study had participants wear vests for 10 hours per day and found no significant weight-loss benefits—though many did report sore backs.
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