In the journey towards optimal health, we often look for simple yet effective strategies to amplify our efforts. What if a seemingly straightforward piece of equipment could unlock significant improvements in your metabolic health and accelerate your weight loss goals? Imagine adding a subtle, consistent challenge to your daily activities that quietly boosts your calorie burn and strengthens your body. This isn't a futuristic gadget or a complex diet; it's the humble weighted vest.

Many people are seeking sustainable ways to manage their weight, improve energy levels, and safeguard their long-term health. While diet and exercise are foundational, understanding how to optimise these efforts can make all the difference.

This article will delve into the science behind weighted vests, exploring how these wearable weights can become a powerful tool in your metabolic health toolkit, helping you burn more calories, build strength, and even enhance bone density.

We'll uncover the physiological mechanisms at play, provide practical advice for incorporating a weighted vest into your routine, and show how Vively's personalised approach can help you maximise these benefits.

Understanding the power of wearable weights

A weighted vest is exactly what it sounds like — a vest fitted with small, evenly distributed weights, typically ranging from a few kilograms up to 20 kilograms or more. Unlike holding dumbbells or wearing a heavy backpack, a weighted vest spreads the load across your torso, keeping your centre of gravity stable and allowing for natural movement.

But why does this simple addition matter for your metabolic health, weight loss, energy, and longevity?

It comes down to increased energy expenditure. Your body is always burning calories to function — even during basic activities like walking or standing. Adding weight means your body has to work harder, which increases the number of calories burnt throughout the day.

Here’s how that benefits your metabolic health:

• Boosts calorie burn
  The added weight makes everyday movements more physically demanding, increasing your total energy output without extra effort.
  
  
• Supports a healthy metabolism
  A more active metabolism helps convert food into energy efficiently, stabilises blood glucose levels, and improves insulin sensitivity.
  
  
• Enhances fat-burning potential
  By increasing muscular and cardiovascular effort, you help your body use glucose more effectively and burn fat more efficiently.
  
  
• Improves long-term strength and resilience
  Over time, training with a weighted vest can lead to stronger muscles, better bone density, and improved cardiovascular health — all key factors for longevity.

In short, a weighted vest turns regular daily movement into a more effective way to support your metabolic health and long-term wellbeing.

How weighted vests impact your metabolic rate

The idea that simply wearing extra weight can significantly impact your body's energy use might seem too good to be true. However, scientific research consistently demonstrates the physiological benefits of incorporating weighted vests into your routine.

The core mechanism is straightforward: increased load demands increased work from your muscles, which in turn requires more energy.

One of the most compelling findings relates to energy expenditure and calorie burn. One study highlighted that participants walking with weighted vests experienced a notable increase in energy expenditure compared to those walking without vests.

Specifically, this research indicated a 10-15% rise in calorie burn, turning a regular walk into a more potent fat-burning session. This effect is further supported by more recent findings, referenced in Men's Health in January 2025, which detailed how a vest weighing 22% of body weight increased energy burn by 12.4%, with even higher percentages for heavier loads.

The underlying principle is that carrying additional weight forces your muscles to work harder, leading to greater oxygen consumption and a higher metabolic demand with each step.

Beyond just calorie burn, weighted vests contribute to several aspects of metabolic health:

• Enhanced muscular strength and endurance: When you add weight, your muscles, particularly in your legs, core, and glutes, are challenged more intensely. This increased resistance acts as a form of low-impact strength training. Over time, this consistent challenge leads to improved muscular endurance and overall strength. Stronger muscles are metabolically active tissues, meaning they burn more calories at rest, further contributing to a healthy metabolic rate.
• Improved cardiovascular health: Wearing a weighted vest elevates your heart rate and increases oxygen consumption during activities like walking or jogging. This effectively transforms moderate exercise into a more intense cardiovascular workout, boosting your stamina and aerobic capacity. A robust cardiovascular system is a cornerstone of good metabolic health, supporting efficient glucose delivery and waste removal.
• Bone density preservation: Weight-bearing activities are crucial for maintaining strong bones, especially as we age and face the risk of conditions like osteoporosis. The added load from a weighted vest places greater mechanical stress on your bones, stimulating bone cells to produce new, stronger bone tissue. Research, including a study by Snow et al. (2000) published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, found that long-term exercise using weighted vests helped prevent hip bone loss in postmenopausal women. This is particularly important during weight loss, as rapid weight reduction can sometimes be associated with a decrease in bone mineral density. Emerging research, such as studies at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, is actively investigating how weighted vests might help attenuate this bone loss during dietary weight loss interventions.

While some studies note that the metabolic cost increase with weighted vests is less extreme than with rucksacks due to better weight distribution, this very aspect makes them a more comfortable and sustainable option for daily wear and integrated exercise.

The science is clear: a weighted vest is a simple yet powerful tool for increasing energy expenditure, building strength, and supporting bone health, all of which are vital components of optimising your metabolic health and achieving sustainable weight loss.

Want to learn more about medical options? Read our complete guide to Ozempic in Australia to understand how it supports weight loss and metabolic health.

Integrating a weighted vest into your routine

Ready to harness the power of a weighted vest? Integrating this tool into your daily life doesn't require a complete overhaul of your fitness routine. It's about subtly increasing the intensity of movements you already do.

Here’s how to get started safely and effectively:

1. Start light and progress gradually: This is the golden rule. Begin with a vest that is 5-10% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, start with a 3.5-7 kg vest. Your body needs time to adapt to the added load. Gradually increase the weight by 1-2 kg every few weeks as you feel stronger and more comfortable. Avoid starting too heavy, as this can strain your joints and muscles.
2. Focus on low-impact activities: Weighted vests are excellent for amplifying low-impact exercises.
   
   • Walking: This is perhaps the easiest and most accessible way to use a weighted vest. Turn your regular strolls into more effective calorie-burning and strength-building sessions.
   • Housework and errands: Wearing a light weighted vest while doing chores around the house or running errands can significantly increase your incidental activity and calorie burn throughout the day without feeling like a formal workout.
   • Bodyweight exercises: Enhance the intensity of squats, lunges, push-ups, and step-ups by adding a weighted vest. This provides resistance training without needing external weights.
   • Hiking or rucking: For those who enjoy the outdoors, a weighted vest can make hikes more challenging and rewarding, building both endurance and strength.
3. Prioritise proper form: Always maintain good posture when wearing a weighted vest. Keep your shoulders back, engage your core, and avoid slouching. The vest should fit snugly but allow for a full range of motion. If you experience any pain or discomfort, remove the vest and reassess your form or the weight.
4. Listen to your body: While the goal is to increase intensity, overdoing it can lead to injury. If you feel excessive strain, fatigue, or pain, reduce the weight or the duration of wear. Incorporate rest days as needed.

Making these small adjustments can set you up for long-term success. But what does this actually look like in real life? Let’s take a look at how one Vively member used a weighted vest to improve her metabolic health.

Looking for extra support on your journey? Explore the best weight management apps for Australians to help you stay motivated and on track.

Real-life impact: Jessica's journey to improved metabolic health

Let's consider Jessica, a Vively member in her late 40s who was struggling with persistent fatigue and had noticed her clothes getting tighter, despite trying to eat healthily. Her initial CGM data revealed frequent glucose spikes and dips, indicating some metabolic dysregulation. She was already walking regularly, but felt her progress had plateaued.

After discussing options with her Vively coach, Jessica decided to try incorporating a weighted vest into her daily routine. Starting with a vest that was 5% of her body weight (around 3.5 kg), she began wearing it during her morning walks and while doing light housework.

Within just a few weeks, Jessica noticed a significant difference. Her Vively app showed a more stable glucose response, particularly on days she wore the vest for longer durations. She also observed a gradual increase in her daily step count and a subtle but consistent upward trend in her estimated calorie burn. Her coach helped her interpret these trends, explaining how the increased energy expenditure was improving her insulin sensitivity and contributing to a healthier metabolic rate.

Over three months, Jessica gradually increased the weight in her vest to 7 kg. She found her walks felt more purposeful, and she felt stronger throughout the day. The fatigue that had plagued her began to lift, replaced by a sustained sense of energy.

While her weight loss was steady rather than dramatic, the improvements in her metabolic markers were clear: fewer glucose spikes, better time in range, and a noticeable reduction in her waist circumference. 

Jessica's story highlights how a simple addition like a weighted vest, combined with Vively's data-driven insights and coaching, can create a powerful synergy for real, sustainable health improvements.

Feeling inspired? Check out more stories like this at  Vively’s members stories.

Vively's holistic approach: optimising your metabolic journey

At Vively, we believe that real health transformation starts with understanding how your body responds to everyday choices. The addition of a weighted vest is just one example of how small, intentional changes can lead to meaningful improvements in your metabolic health and overall wellbeing.

Our comprehensive program is built to give you the tools, data, and expert support to help you succeed:

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

This is the foundation of what we do. CGM lets you see how your glucose responds in real time; whether it’s from food, exercise, stress, or sleep. When you incorporate a weighted vest into your day, you’ll be able to track its direct effect on your blood sugar and energy stability within minutes.

Metabolic Health Score

The chart above shows how the Metabolic Score appears inside the Vively app — a simple, at-a-glance number from 0 to 100 that reflects how well your metabolism is functioning.

This score is calculated using key glucose metrics, including:

• Glucose variability – how much your blood sugar fluctuates.
• Number of spikes – how often your glucose sharply rises, often after meals or stress.
• Average glucose – your overall glucose level over a 14-day period.
• Estimated HbA1c – a projection of your three-month average glucose.

Together, these measures help you understand whether your body is managing energy efficiently, recovering well from glucose rises, and staying in metabolic balance. It’s a powerful way to see how daily habits — like using a weighted vest — are really working for you.

Curious about tracking progress beyond the scale? Learn how to calculate your body fat percentage and why it matters for metabolic health.

The Vively app

Your personalised dashboard for tracking everything that matters. Log your activity, meals, and lifestyle habits, and see how they influence your glucose responses and overall metabolic health. It’s visual, actionable, and made to help you stay consistent.

Personalised coaching

Our accredited coaches help you integrate evidence-backed strategies into your routine. That might include optimising your use of a weighted vest, adjusting your meals to reduce spikes, or improving sleep and stress habits — all in a way that fits your lifestyle.

By combining the physical challenge of a weighted vest with Vively’s CGM, Metabolic Health Score, and expert support, you get a powerful, personalised system for sustainable weight loss, better energy, and long-term health.

Ready to take the next step towards a healthier, more vibrant you? Learn more about Vively and download the app today!

Frequently Asked Questions about weighted vests

How much weight should I put in a weighted vest for walking?

For walking, it's generally recommended to start with a weighted vest that is 5-10% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, begin with 3.5-7 kg. Gradually increase the weight as your strength and comfort improve, ensuring you maintain good posture and avoid discomfort.

Can wearing a weighted vest help with weight loss?

Yes, wearing a weighted vest can support weight loss by increasing your body's energy expenditure during daily activities and exercise. By adding extra load, your muscles work harder, leading to a higher calorie burn. This increased metabolic demand contributes to a greater overall calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss.

Is it safe to wear a weighted vest every day?

Wearing a weighted vest daily for short to moderate durations during low-impact activities like walking or housework can be safe for most healthy individuals. However, it's crucial to start with a light weight, listen to your body, and avoid prolonged wear if you experience pain or discomfort. Individuals with pre-existing conditions like chronic back pain or joint issues should consult a healthcare professional before use.

What are the benefits of a weighted vest beyond weight loss?

Beyond supporting weight loss, weighted vests offer several benefits, including:

• Increased muscle strength and endurance: Forces muscles to work harder.
• Improved cardiovascular fitness: Elevates heart rate and oxygen consumption.
• Enhanced bone density: Adds mechanical stress to bones, stimulating growth.
• Better posture and core stability: Engages core muscles to support the added weight.
• Increased energy expenditure: Burns more calories during everyday activities.

How does a weighted vest impact metabolic health?

A weighted vest positively impacts metabolic health by increasing your metabolic rate and energy expenditure. The added resistance makes your body work harder, which can improve insulin sensitivity, help stabilise blood glucose levels, and encourage your body to burn more fat for fuel. This contributes to a more efficient and resilient metabolism.

Conclusion

In the quest for optimal health and sustainable weight loss, the weighted vest emerges as a surprisingly effective and accessible tool. By subtly increasing the load on your body, these wearable weights amplify your calorie burn, strengthen your muscles, enhance cardiovascular fitness, and even bolster bone density.

It's a simple, yet scientifically-backed strategy to boost your metabolic rate and turn everyday movements into powerful opportunities for health improvement.

Remember, the journey to better metabolic health is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency, gradual progression, and listening to your body are key. When combined with the personalised insights from Vively's CGM tracking and expert coaching, integrating a weighted vest can become a cornerstone of your holistic health plan

Empower yourself with knowledge, embrace smart tools, and take confident steps towards a healthier, more energetic future.

Start your Vively journey today and discover your unique path to metabolic well-being!