Weighted Vest for Osteoporosis: Why Walking Alone Isn’t Enough for Bone Strength
Weighted vests are all the rage. I’ve heard so many women over 40 talking about weighted vests especially in conversations around osteoporosis, menopause, and bone health.
You’ve probably heard some version of the headlines…
“Just add a weighted vest to your walks.”
“Rucking builds bone density.”
“You don’t need strength training — just walk with weight.”
It sounds simple. It sounds safe. And it sounds appealing, especially when lifting weights feels intimidating.
But here’s the problem…
Walking with a weighted vest alone does not provide an adequate stimulus to build bone strength.
Let’s talk about what the research ACTUALLY shows, and why strength training remains the gold standard for bone health.
How Bone Actually Gets Stronger
Wolf’s law states that bone adapts to the loads placed upon it, becoming stronger and thicker in response to increased mechanical stress.
Bones adapt to mechanical stress, which depends on:
Magnitude of force (how much load)
Rate of loading (how fast the force is applied)
Variability of direction (multi-directional stress)
Slow, repetitive, steady movement like walking creates very low strain, even when body weight is increased.
Adding a weighted vest to walking increases effort, but effort is not the same as bone-stimulating strain.
What the Research Says About Weighted Walking
Several studies have looked at load carriage or weighted walking. What they consistently show is this:
Walking with a weighted vest increases energy expenditure
It feels harder
It may improve general conditioning
But when it comes to bone density, the results are underwhelming.
Studies examining load carriage and walking mechanics demonstrate that the body adapts by subtly changing gait mechanics to reduce joint and bone stress, even with added weight. The loading remains slow, repetitive, and predictable, which is exactly the opposite of what bone needs to remodel.
Other studies show that relatively small added loads (3–5% of body weight) during walking do not significantly improve strength or bone outcomes, despite making the activity feel more challenging.
I will warn you that these are THE SAME studies influencers are citing when telling you that vests improve your bone density… and then telling you to buy that vest through their affiliate link.
Do NOT fall for the hype. Weighted walking is harder and increases your cardiac output, but it is NOT better for bone.
Where Weighted Vests Do Make a Difference
This is where nuance matters and where many online sources get it wrong.
Weighted vests can improve bone density when paired with the right type of exercise.
Research shows improvements in bone mass density when weighted vests are used during:
Jumping and impact activities
Resistance training
Progressive, high-load exercises
In these studies, the vest wasn’t doing the work alone, it was amplifying a bone-stimulating activity.
Jumping with a weighted vest increases:
Ground reaction forces
Rate of loading
Skeletal strain at clinically important sites (hip and spine)
Similarly, wearing a weighted vest during resistance training (i.e. doing weighted squats instead of air squats or weighted step ups instead of going up steps without weight) increases the load bones experience because the underlying exercise already meets the criteria for bone adaptation.
Jumping unweighted already stimulates bone growth, so adding a bit of weight enhances the stimulus.
The vest enhances the stimulus, it does not replace it.
Why Rucking Is Often Misrepresented
Rucking is often promoted as a “bone-building” activity because:
It adds external load
It feels challenging
It’s marketed as “functional”
But rucking is still walking. And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE rucking, but walking even with weight, remains:
Low velocity
Low impact
Low strain
Highly repetitive
From a bone physiology standpoint, rucking is closer to endurance training than resistance or impact training.
This is why many studies show improvements in general strength or conditioning when walking is combined with weighted exercise programs, but not when walking alone is relied on as the primary bone intervention.
I still love to walk with my weighted ruck, but I know what it is doing for my health and what it is NOT doing. I’m not telling you to stop, but I am telling you not to rely on rucking as your strength training or bone building activity.
What Actually Does Build Bone
If your goal is osteoporosis prevention or bone strength, the most effective intervention is strength training. Hands Down. You can also include plyometrics in your routine, but I find many women over 50 are hesitant to begin plyometrics (even more so than strength training), due to joint pain, fear, or pelvic floor symptoms.
Here is a list of what I would include on a weekly basis to begin to build bone strength:
Progressive resistance training
Deadlifts
Squats
Upper body Push
Upper body Pull
Lunges or step ups
Loaded Carries
Impact loading (when appropriate - progress from top to bottom and start with low reps)
Depth Drops - best to start here to focus on landing mechanics
Hopping
Jumping
Bounding
These activities:
Load bone at meaningful magnitudes
Apply force rapidly
Create variability in stress
Improve muscle strength and balance (which is critical for fall prevention)
Walking can and should be part of a healthy lifestyle, BUT it cannot do the heavy lifting for bone health.
So Should You Use a Weighted Vest?
Here’s the evidence-based answer:
Use a weighted vest:
During strength training or impact exercise if appropriate
To progress exercises that already load bone
Intentionally and progressively
Do NOT:
Rely on weighted walking alone to build bone
Substitute rucking for resistance training
Assume “more steps with weight” equals stronger bones
Know Why You are Including Rucking
Again, I love rucks as much as the next girl, but know why you are doing it. Want to get outside and enjoy low impact cardio? Check! Want to increase daily movement? Check! Want to incorporate low heart rate exercise into your routine, but make it harder? Check!
But want to get stronger and build stronger bones? Rucking or weighted vest walking is NOT the solution.
If you care about osteoporosis prevention, fracture risk reduction, and long-term independence, the evidence overwhelmingly supports strength training as the gold standard.
Bones need a clear reason to adapt. Walking alone doesn’t give them one, even with weight.
Want Help with Starting Strength Training?
If you’re unsure how to begin strength training, I have several resources for you.
Here’s how I help women over 40 build strength and increase bone density:
Get Started with Strength (free guide)
Stronger for Life - a monthly remote strength training membership
1:1 Remote Strength Coaching - individualized and written specifically for you
Local to Jacksonville, FL? I offer in-person semi-private personal training
I also offer tons of advice and free resources in my newsletter. You can sign up for that below.
References:
Snow CM, Shaw JM, Winters KM, Witzke KA. Long-term exercise using weighted vests prevents hip bone loss in postmenopausal women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55(9):M489–M491. doi:10.1093/gerona/55.9.m489. PMID: 10995045.
Hejazi K, Askari R, Hofmeister M. Effects of physical exercise on bone mineral density in older postmenopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Osteoporos. 2022;17(1):102. doi:10.1007/s11657-022-01140-7. PMID: 35896850.
Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. Meta-analysis of walking for preservation of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Bone. 2008;43(3):521-531. doi:10.1016/j.bone.2008.05.012. PMID: 18602880.
Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. What women need to know about bone health and preventing fractures. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation website.https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/preventing-fractures/general-facts/what-women-need-to-know/. Accessed January 10, 2026.
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