RUKSTR sent me a weighted vest for review. All opinions are my own.
I’ll start out with a confession. I’ve never been one to go to the gym regularly. Only for brief periods of my life have I been good about using workout equipment at home. Of course, I’ve always known that I should. Making it actually happen has been a challenge.
A few years ago, I successfully got in the habit of taking daily walks with my husband. We do this for a combined goal of helping our physical and mental health. We both work from home, so it’s easy to have days where we don’t even leave the house. We know that isn’t good for us physically or emotionally. Going on a daily walk, even though it’s only about a mile, gets us moving a little bit, and gets us some access to the sun which can be so beneficial to mental health.
A while back I read that for people with ADHD (that’s me) it’s often easier to stick to a new habit or routine if you add it to something you’re already in the habit of doing. It hit me that it might be more successful to add a habit to my daily walks rather than trying to start an entirely new one. That’s where RUKSTR came in.
If you haven’t heard of it yet, rucking is a type of exercise where you carry a “ruck” (aka backpack) while walking or hiking. Of course, this makes the walking or hiking more challenging due to the weight that you’re carrying. This causes it to burn more calories, while also building muscle mass. It’s popular for people with joint problems, because it doesn’t have the same impact on your knees and elbows the way that running, jogging, weight lifting, etc do.
RUKSTR is a brand that makes weighted vests, specifically designed to be used for rucking. They have a 12lb vest and an 18lb vest. I went with the 12lb vest seems how I am new to this. I am 5’1″ and was happy with how the vest fits me. The straps are placed well so they don’t slip off my shoulders. It has four adjustable straps. Two that go across your chest, and one under each of your arms.
The vest is neoprene on the outside, and is filled with iron sand weight. I wasn’t familiar with iron sand before, but it feels like it’s filled with sand. When squeezed, you can feel the material inside shift a bit. So it’s firm but has some give to it. The weight is evenly distributed across the vest. I don’t find that the straps feel like they’re digging into me or anything uncomfortable. It certainly feels heavy and I feel the extra work my body has to do to walk around when wearing this, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable in a physical sense. It’s far more comfortable than wearing my college backpack full of books back in the day!
Each shoulder strap has a pocket, and the back has a pocket as well so you can carry items like a phone, debit card or snacks.
If you have a fitness fan on your list, or someone who you know is looking to find a really accessible way to up the intensity of their daily walks or hikes, RUKSTR weighted vests would make a nice gift!
Related Posts:
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This post currently has no responses.
Leave a Reply