Latest news with #EmilyMcCarthy
Axios
4 days ago
- Health
- Axios
Rucking: Why more women are doing weighted walks
More people are "rucking" with weighted vests or loaded backpacks to build muscle and protect bones. Why it matters: It's a military exercise that's become a mainstream low-impact, longevity trend. Catch up quick: Originally used in military training, rucking is hiking with added weight. What they're saying: Seeing a woman in a weighted vest has become "how to tell someone's in perimenopause without them saying it," says Anna Hammond, head physical therapist at Core Exercise Solutions in Atlanta. Social media chatter about women rucking has picked up in the last couple of months, she says. How it works: Start by filling a backpack with household items like magazines and water bottles, GORUCK co-founder Emily McCarthy tells Axios. "Keep it by the door," and wear it as you're doing your daily activities. Women might start walking with 5%-10% of their body weight for short walks. Then, experts recommend slowly adding weight and time. Serious ruckers are investing in specific gear. Sales of weighted vests jumped over 50% to $27 million in the 12 months ending in May 2025, per market research firm Circana. Rucking vests go from around $ 30 to upwards of $ 250. "Weighted vests aren't just a fitness trend," according to Mary Claire Haver, OB-GYN and author of "The New Menopause." "They're a science-backed strategy to potentially improve bone density, balance, and muscle mass," she writes, "all of which are critical for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and frailty as we age." Yes, but: Rucking isn't an "easy button," warns Hammond. You don't just "buy this thing and put it on" and expect immediate results. She cautions that poor form and uneven weight distribution can cause posture issues and shallow breathing — she got a stiff neck from rucking herself. And while studies suggest benefits, she notes the research often compares ruckers to sedentary people, not those who walk or lift weights. She encourages people walking with weighted gear to pay attention to how their bodies feel, and consider focused weightlifting for even more health benefits. The bottom line: Carrying weight can increase strength, but how you do it matters. Carly's thought bubble: I looked into rucking after a friend told me I was so "on trend" for wearing my baby. Ever since she pointed out that strapping a 20-pound human to my chest is good exercise, I've focused more on the physical benefits of carrying extra weight — and been kinder to myself about feeling sore or winded from a walk. These days I stretch after walks, adjust as I go, and count carrying my child as progressive resistance training (that comes with snuggles).
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can You Walk To Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time? Experts Weigh In
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." I go for walks all the time—with my dog or pushing my daughter in a stroller. But to be honest, I rarely return thinking, Whew, workout accomplished. I moved and got some steps in, sure, but it often didn't feel as intense or challenging as my other sweats. Lately, though, I've totally rethought that somewhat shortsighted view. Walking has received a major glow-up in recent years, with countless hashtags (#hotgirlhikes, #silentwalks, #12330, and more) taking over social media. The activity has become downright cool: Now, 52 percent of exercisers say outdoor walking is essential to their general fitness routine, according to Mindbody's 2024 Wellness Index. Additionally, in the past few years, with guided classes being offered on major platforms such as Apple Fitness+, Peloton, iFit, Aaptiv, and Obé, walking has joined the ranks of exercise modalities like strength training, HIIT, and running. Walking can reduce your risk for chronic diseases, including sleep apnea, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, per a study in Nature Medicine. Walking can also decrease visceral fat stored around your belly and reduce the risk for obesity, studies show. Plus, every 500 additional steps a day over 2,000 (up to 4,500 steps) was associated with a 14 percent lower risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke in people ages 70 and older, per a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions last year. (FYI: You generally won't build as much muscle mass solely from walking, so for max gains, don't forgo other methods!) These healthy boosts aren't just for beginners. Once you learn how to incorporate not-just-a-walk-in-the-park variations into your routine, you'll find yourself craving more sweaty strolls. Knowledge, ahead… Long before social media existed, this loaded variety was a military training workout: Soldiers carried a heavy pack (rucksack) and logged miles (ruck marching). Think of the practice simply as an extended walk with a weighted pack, says Katie Knight, CPT, an online fitness coach and a GoRuck Games champion. The pack (you can purchase a specific rucking one or DIY it) is key to getting the most from the miles. 'It makes you stand up straighter as you move, and you work different muscles compared to hiking or backpacking,' says Emily McCarthy, cofounder of the community GoRuck. Rucking is a total-body workout too; it uses your core and shoulder muscles as well as your legs as you carry the load. It also really pays off: The method improved strength in upper- and lower-body muscles, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. After a 10-week period of resistance training and weighted walking, participants gained overall strength in squat jumps, pushups, and situps. Then gradually increase both as your fitness improves, recommends Knight. You can even attempt rucking at home or at the gym on a treadmill. There are specialty rucking packs that allow you to insert different weight plates and keep them evenly distributed. (See 'Gear Up and Go,' below, for a great rec!) But you can also just grab a backpack and put in a five-pound dumbbell, some ankle weights, and/or a full water bottle. For beginners, 5 to 10 pounds is ideal. 'Put your treadmill on an aggressive incline between 8 and 12 percent and walk at a speed from 2.7 to 3.5 for about 10 to 30 minutes,' says Percell Dugger, CPT, a Nike running coach. At its most basic, this style simply involves strolling with poles. Nordic walking originated as a way for cross-country skiers to keep up their training sans snow, says Malin Svensson, CPT, an International Nordic Walking Association master trainer and coach. But it has evolved into a year-round, any-surface way to walk. The variation is excellent cross-training or off-season cardio for other sports because you coordinate muscles from head to toe and keep the heart and lungs pumping, says Svensson. It also 'increases your endurance while taking stress off your ankle, knee, and hip joints, strengthens your core, arms, chest, back, buttocks, and legs, and improves posture and flexibility,' Svensson notes. And the motion, with or without the poles, improves resting heart rate, blood pressure, maximal oxygen consumption, and more, according to one review. While maintaining a natural opposing-arm-and-leg rhythm, plant your pole at a slight backward angle and push off with each step, making the triceps burn and engaging multiple upper-body muscles. 'Keep your arm in a handshake position,' Svensson says, with slightly bent elbows that aren't too tight to the body. What started as hot girl walks (to the tune of over 1 billion views) on TikTok evolved into hot girl hikes. The latter simply include an extra bit of planning, a lot more nature, and more rigor. You don't have to set out on your own Wild adventure or hit a new summit—a few trail miles will count. Hiking also brings in some added benefits that walking alone doesn't offer. 'Naturally, you will find more incline, hills, and uneven terrain, and that can increase the workload and challenge you from a fitness perspective more so than a flat road walk,' says Rachelle Reed, PhD, an exercise scientist and American College of Sports Medicine ambassador. Also expect a balance workout from uneven surfaces, as well as an emotional lift from being in nature. Exercising in green spaces has been linked to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure, per a review in Extreme Physiology & Medicine. Focus on pushing through your heels to engage glutes and release pressure on knees in steep pitches, says Bradee Felton, CPT, host of the Fit for Hiking podcast and founder and CEO of the site Ponytail on a Trail. If you're wearing a pack, maintain proper posture by squeezing shoulder blades together. While it might sound more like a spa experience than a workout, a jaunt free of distractions comes with profound mental health benefits. Made famous on social media, silent walking is all about strolling without tech. Leaving music, podcasts, audiobooks, and phone calls behind ideally leads to mindfulness and connection during your journey. (But feel free to bring Fido if you want company!) Think of it as a walking meditation and a physical activity that gives you a break from the business of your life, says Reed. As such, the quiet goes deeper than popping out the earbuds; it includes muting the mental chatter, with the goal of engaging with your senses, your surroundings, and the present. It also opens the opportunity to experience awe, which comes with a host of mind perks unique to this emotion, such as greater kindness and feelings of social connection and community. Feeling daily moments of awe was predictive of better general wellbeing, too, according to multiple recent studies. Pay attention to details such as 'how your legs are moving, your breathing rate, or how your body feels when you walk faster or slower, to refocus into the here and now,' says Reed. 'Remember that this walking takes practice—and that mindful meditation is more about acknowledging your thoughts without judgment, rather than trying to think about nothing at all.' Mind magic!$108.49 at at at You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
