Rucking, a trendy exercise that involves walking with additional weight loaded on, is not only good for your heart, lungs and muscles but also offers numerous health and wellbeing benefits.
This strenuous workout could involve loading up a rucksack or carrier with specially designed 'ruck plates', or opting for a weighted vest if preferred. The trend has been gaining traction on TikTok, and it's likely to be seen more this summer.
The concept of rucking isn't new and has long been part of military training. "We used to refer to this in the Royal Marines as 'yomping'," says Tommy Kelly, former Royal Marine commando and co-founder of outdoor and mountain clothing brand, Jottnar. "It was a means of carrying heavy kit, sometimes up to 120lbs, over large distances and through arduous terrain. It was painful my shoulders, knees and back still hurt when I think of it!"
Do you need specific kit?
While you don't necessarily need a dedicated rucking bag or carrier and plates to try it, loading up an ill-fitting rucksack could result in injury, reports Wales Online. Kelly, an expert in the field, advises: "Fit is important, as backs come in all different shapes and sizes. An ill-fitting rucksack, especially one with a heavy weight, will place undue strain on the back and neck, likely leading to pain and injury."
He suggests trying out various options in a shop for fit and comfort, adding that most rucksacks have been reviewed online, providing a wealth of information. He recommends looking for a rucksack with "a firm internal frame, as well as well-padded shoulder and waist straps", and mentions that "an integral chest strap is useful also as a means of spreading the weight".
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What are the fitness benefits?
"You can be outside enjoying nature, while completing a higher intensity walk and improving your aerobic capacity or Vo2 max [the max amount of oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise, often used as a measure for cardiorespiratory fitness]," says Olivia Tyler, national fitness assurance lead at Nuffield Health who have just launched their #MyDailyMovement campaign, sharing a wealth of content and expert advice on new ways to get active on their website.
Tyler explains that it can help improve balance too and, of course, it's a strength workout. "Rucking helps encourage better posture, as you are carrying weights on your back and need to engage your core and back muscles," she adds.
Kelly acknowledges the advantages of enhancing both "muscular and skeletal" strength. He explains: "A heavy load, carried routinely, forces the muscles and bones into adapting namely, strengthening," and he highlights the cardiovascular perks: "The heart and lungs are required to work far harder than normal unburdened walking. Do this regularly and aerobic fitness will markedly improve."
He also touches on the psychological aspect: "Like anything hard, done repeatedly, self-confidence and mindset strengthening results," Kelly notes. "This is transferrable to wider life." For those considering taking up rucking, Kelly offers some words of caution. It may seem simple, but it's crucial not to overdo it initially.
"Begin with a light load and shorter distances, and take it steady to begin with," he advises. "As strength and fitness improve, weight, distance and speed can all be incrementally increased."
Any other advice for newbies?
Kelly recommends a proper warm-up routine: "Warming up and then stretching are important for anything reasonably arduous. A cold and un-flexed body is a lot more susceptible to sudden physical stresses placed upon it, so take five minutes to slowly raise the heart rate, mobilise the joints and stretch the muscles.
"Make sure you are walking the distances without issue before starting to add weights into your route. Once you are happy walking without the weights, add in weights gradually to avoid any back injuries. Rucking is good for your back when done properly, and when weights are gradually increased over time," she adds. "However, caution is needed, as injuries can occur when the wrong backpacks are worn, too much weight is loaded onto the shoulders, and when swinging rucksacks on and off your back.
"I wouldn't recommend weighted vest training to anyone who is new to exercise, or getting back to exercise after some time off, " says Tyler. "It's important to have a reasonably strong core and glutes, in order to support the additional weight without risking injury. I also would not recommend weighted vests to anyone who has certain back and neck problems like spinal stenosis or disc degeneration. If you are unsure, it's always best to reach out to your GP or an exercise professional like a PT."
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