Tricking your body into burning more calories

If you’ve ever played around with the calorie counter on a treadmill, keying in a weight of 50 lbs more so it will say you’re burning more calories, you know the principle on which weight vests work. If you’re still scratching your head I’ll explain.

How weight vests work

When you exercise your body burns calories, this we all know. But there are reasons some people burn calories faster than others. One of those reasons is exertion. The harder you work, the more calories you burn. When your body has to carry 100 or even just 10 lbs more, it has to work harder to do everything, so you burn more calories.

It’s the same reason overweight individuals inevitably hit *weight loss plateaus[Powering Through Weight Loss Plateaus]. In theory (although this simplified and there are always other variables to consider) someone who lost 20 lbs and was finding it hard to continue losing weight because their body wasn’t burning as many calories as before, could put on a 20 lb weight vest during their workout and get right back on track. Of course they wouldn’t be wearing the vest all day, so it wouldn’t be the same as actually weighing 20 lbs more. But you get the idea.

When to wear a weighted vest

Some devotees wear their vests during exercise, whether they are strength training or doing cardio. Others wear them around the house or when they’re out doing yard work. Even when you aren’t “working out” you will burn more calories just by wearing a weighted vest.

Why weight-vest training is beneficial

You’ve probably already figured out why a weighted vest would be beneficial to someone trying to lose weight or an elite athlete trying to push herself further, but anyone can benefit from a little extra challenge.
If your body is always engaged in the same exercise activity it will eventually adapt to it, becoming less challenged at each workout and burning fewer calories. Women often need to find new ways to challenge themselves just to maintain their weight and fitness level. A weighted vest is one way they can do it.

Aside from that, weight bearing exercises are the best way to improve bone density, which can help prevent osteoporosis down the road. Thin women are especially at risk for the condition.

What to look for in a weight vest