The Benefits of Walking with a Backpack: A Guide to Maximizing Your Health and Fitness Levels

2023-09-20 02:34:33

Walking while using this thing is one of the best things you can do on a health level

If you enjoy exercising Walking As a workout, one simple way to maximize your efforts is by adding a backpack.

Walking with weight on your back is an increasingly popular form of exercise.

This sport comes from a basic skill used by militaries all over the world.

One of the tests the US Army offers to recruits looking to earn the Distinguished Soldier badge is a 12-mile walk with heavy weights on the back, which they must complete in at least three hours and carrying at least 15 kilograms of gear.

However, you can start by lifting lighter weights and gradually increase the weight as your strength develops.

Perhaps one of the reasons for the popularity of this sport is that it is an easy, low-impact exercise for the entire body that enhances cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

A small study in September 2019 showed that 10 weeks of weight-bearing walking and resistance training improved men’s physical performance and significantly reduced the rate of fatigue they felt.

Another study in January 2019 found that weight training on stairs improved lower extremity muscle strength and functional ability in older women, suggesting that this exercise might extend their independence by approximately 10 years.

Stew Smith, a fitness instructor and Special Operations Training Team instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, said that a person burns 30% to 45% more calories by walking with a weight than by walking without a weight.

A soldier weighing 81 kilograms and carrying 15 kilograms while walking for 15 minutes per mile over a distance of 3.7 miles burns 680 calories, according to the US Army.

Since, in general, the more you weigh, the more calories you consume during any activity, then a soldier weighing 81 kilograms burns calories at the rate of a person weighing 97 kilograms.

Since walking is usually done outdoors, this is another benefit for your mental health.

“There are many studies that show that the mental health benefits of being in a natural environment are enormous,” said Mark Stevenson, senior director of the Center for Sports Performance and Research at Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts.

While hiking with a backpack is simple, there are several considerations to make before you grab your bag and head out.

First, as with any new exercise, you’ll want to start slow.

“Start with a load,” Stevenson said back bag Empty, and walk the distance you have already covered. “When you start adding weight to your bag, try a low weight, like 10% of your body weight.”

By adding weight, you will put more stress on your ankles, knees, hips and back, so do it gradually.

Another option is to start with a heavy vest instead of a backpack, and once you get used to the vest, you can switch to a backpack.

The backpack should have wide, padded shoulder straps.

It’s also important that your bag has a waist belt, which helps reduce movement and distribute the weight more evenly, which should be tight across your back, not straying away from your shoulders.

He added that although it may be tempting to put canned foods in your bag to achieve the desired weight, this is not a good idea. Heavy items should be placed in the middle of the back near the shoulder blades, not at the bottom of the bag near the lower back.

Smith prefers to use a bag of sand, which you can buy ready-made in stores. Ideally, the load will fill your bag evenly. There are also sandbags made specifically for fitness.

If you want to choose the right backpack and weights, buy a backpack designed specifically for this sport. They may come with boards or sandbags, as well as pockets to hold them in the right position, and some backpacks also have handles on the outside if you want to stop to do some other exercises.

“Don’t forget your feet, and choose a comfortable pair of shoes with wool socks,” Smith said.

While most people can practice this exercise if they have the ability to walk, it is not recommended for everyone.

“If you have shoulder problems or tendonitis, wearing a heavy backpack will exacerbate the problem,” Stevenson said.

Fitness experts recommend this exercise only a few times a week, not daily. It can also help to pair it with lower body exercises.

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