What the ruck? What is rucking and why I love it

If you’ve never heard of the term rucking, a quick definition is walking with weight on your back. So, grab a backpack and throw in some weight. You can use filled water bottles, books, whatever you’ve got! Get the backpack as high up on your back as possible so you can maintain a good posture and get moving. 

Rucking is a simple way to add intensity to your walk or hike. By adding a bit of weight you’re bound to notice an increase in respiratory rate and heart rate as well as some muscle burn that you wouldn’t normally experience on a walk or hike. It is a fantastic workout that is modifiable by simply adding or subtracting weight from your pack and choosing an appropriate distance for the time you have to exercise. 

Rucking has become one of my favorite workouts in the last few months. I love walking and hiking, so being able to just grab my pack and head out the door is an ideal way to get in a workout without needing a plan or as much prep as I would for a workout in my garage gym. I walk with my daughter in her stroller nearly everyday, which is a perfect time to utilize this modality.

Additionally, I love how adding weight to a pack while I walk benefits my body and fitness. Rucking is extremely functional, this is why the military uses this type of training. The ability to carry weight across distances can be used in so many ways. Also, as I mentioned above, carrying a weighted pack can help strengthen postural muscles. The other aspect of rucking that I love and that I feel is not mentioned enough if at all when trainers discuss the benefits of this activity is the loading on the spine. 

As a woman who lifts and enjoys resistance training, I am hyper aware of the benefits of these activities on my bone density. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are conditions that many men, and especially women, are faced with later in life. Oftentimes the spine is an area that is severely affected, which can lead to compression fractures and kyphotic (hunched) posture. It can also lead to more severe injuries if the individual should fall. Loading our joints and bones stimulates our body to increase the bone density of the areas that are loaded. So, by adding weight in a pack or a weight vest and wearing it while we walk we are loading the vertebrae and thus telling our bodies to make them stronger. 

I would love to know if you’ve tried rucking or if you’re a fan of it. If you would like to give it a try I would love to help you out with any pointers or the best way to start. If you’re dealing with an injury and are unable to walk or hike at the moment, send me an email or DM to set up a consult so we can get you back on the trails!