Looking for a cardio workout that boosts your fitness without punishing your joints? Meet rucking. Rucking, simply put, means walking or hiking with a weighted backpack. This straightforward activity has roots in military training but has exploded in popularity among everyday people for being both effective and accessible business.virtuagym.com.
Best of all, rucking is a low-impact exercise – easy on your knees and hips – yet it delivers a full-body workout that gets your heart pumping and muscles working. Whether you’re a beginner, an avid runner looking for a new challenge, or an older adult seeking a joint-friendly routine, rucking can build your endurance and strength while you enjoy the outdoors.
What Is Rucking?
The term “rucking” comes from the military: soldiers in boot camp carry weighted rucksacks (backpacks) over long marches to build toughness. In essence, rucking is walking a set distance with a loaded pack on your back – think of it as hiking meets strength training. Today, civilians have embraced rucking as a fitness trend (championed by figures like Navy SEAL veteran David Goggins) for its simplicity and results. All you need is a sturdy backpack and some weight, making it an incredibly minimal and flexible workout.
Because rucking is essentially brisk walking with weight, it’s naturally low-impact on your joints. One foot is always on the ground, so there’s no jarring impact as you get from running acefitness.org. Yet the added resistance turns a casual walk into a legit workout. You can adjust three key factors – the weight in your pack, the distance you go, and the duration of your walk – to scale the intensity to your fitness level. This makes rucking highly adaptable: a beginner might start with a light 10-minute ruck around the block, while a seasoned athlete could trek for miles with a heavier pack.
Benefits of Rucking: Low Impact, High Rewards
Rucking offers a unique mix of cardio and strength benefits. It raises your heart rate like aerobic exercise, and it engages your muscles by adding resistance. Here are some of the top benefits you can expect from rucking:
- Improves Endurance: Rucking gets your heart and lungs working to build aerobic fitness. In fact, studies show that training by walking with added weight can improve overall physical performance and workout stamina health.clevelandclinic.org. Over time, rucking boosts your cardiovascular endurance and walking speed, helping you go farther with less fatigue.
- Builds Strength (and Bones): Carrying extra weight while walking engages your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles, effectively turning a walk into a strength workout. Research on older adults found that weighted step exercises significantly improved leg strength, power, and mobility. Rucking strengthens your lower-body and core muscles, and because it’s weight-bearing, it can also help improve bone density and combat age-related muscle and bone loss (think stronger bones and a reduced risk of osteoporosis as you age).
- High Calorie Burn: Looking to burn more calories? Rucking can torch up to three times more calories than ordinary walking, thanks to the added load. In fact, rucking with a sufficiently heavy pack at a brisk pace can burn nearly as many calories as jogging, yet it feels more manageable for many people. This makes rucking an efficient workout for weight management – you get the calorie burn of a run while just taking a walk with your pack!
- Easy on the Joints: Unlike running or high-impact aerobics, rucking is gentle on your ankles, knees, and hips. One foot stays on the ground with each step, so there’s no heavy pounding on your joints acefitness.org. That means you can get a vigorous workout without the wear-and-tear or pain that often comes with high-impact exercises. Rucking is generally safe for people of all ages and fitness levels, as long as you don’t have a pre-existing joint or bone issue. It’s an ideal cardio option if you’re overweight, recovering from injury, or simply trying to avoid joint strain.
- Boosts Mental Health: Like any exercise, rucking releases endorphins and can improve your mood. But rucking often gets you outdoors, which gives an extra mental health boost. Spending time in nature has been shown to lower stress, reduce blood pressure, and even decrease the risk of depression. Many people find rucking relaxing and therapeutic – it’s a chance to unplug, enjoy some fresh air, or even socialize. (Rucking with friends or a local ruck club can add a fun social element that lifts your spirits even more.)
- Accessible & Motivating: Rucking is truly a workout for anyone. You can do it at any age, any fitness level, and you can progress at your own pace. Fitness experts note that unless you have serious orthopedic issues, rucking is a safe and effective workout for just about everyone. It doesn’t require expensive gear or gym access – just grab a backpack and go. This simplicity lowers the barrier to entry. Plus, having a tangible goal (“I’ll carry 10 pounds for 1 mile today!”) can be very motivating. Trainers who work with seniors report that their 60+ year-old clients love rucking because they see improvements in strength and endurance without any unwanted pain or discomfort acefitness.orgacefitness.org. In short, rucking empowers you to challenge yourself as much (or as little) as you want, making fitness feel more like an adventure than a chore.
Getting Started: How to Start Rucking Safely
One of the best things about rucking is that it’s easy to start. Follow these tips to gear up and ruck the right way:
- Gear Up: Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Use a sturdy backpack (or a purpose-built rucksack) with wide, padded shoulder straps; a chest or waist strap is helpful to keep the load stable. This will distribute weight more evenly and prevent the pack from bouncing or straining your back. (If shoulder pressure is an issue, some people use a weighted vest instead for better weight distribution, acefitness.org.)
- Start Light: Don’t overdo the weight at first. Begin with a light load – even 5–10 pounds is enough for your first ruck. You can even try walking with just the empty backpack to get a feel for it. The goal is to let your body adapt to carrying weight. As one sports physician advises, “You might start your initial ruck with 5 pounds and work your way up.” If you weigh under 150 pounds, around 8–10 lbs is a good starting load; if you’re heavier or already fit, you might handle up to 15–20 lbs to start acefitness.org.
- Mind Your Posture: As you walk, stand tall. Keep your shoulders back and down (avoid hunching forward under the pack) and engage your core muscles. Maintain an upright posture with eyes forward and a natural stride. Good form will protect your back and help you carry the load efficiently. If the weight makes you lean or hunch, lighten the load or adjust your backpack straps.
- Pace Yourself: In the beginning, keep your rucks short and easy. Start with a manageable time or distance – for example, walk 10 minutes out, then 10 minutes back. One trainer recommends sticking to about 20 minutes per ruck for the first couple of weeks until you build a base level of comfort. Focus on getting a feel for the weight and maintaining good form, rather than speed or distance. It’s okay if your pace is just a normal walk at first. As it becomes easier, you can pick up speed or go a bit farther.
- Progress Gradually: Increase your rucking challenge one step at a time. Only adjust one factor (weight, distance, or duration) after you’ve gotten comfortable. A general rule of thumb is to bump up your load or distance by no more than about 10% per week to avoid injury. For instance, if you rucked 2 miles this week, try 2.2 miles next week; or if you carried 10 lbs, go to 12 lbs next time. Small, consistent improvements will add up to big gains over time. Remember to have rest days and mix in other activities (like stretching, strength training, or cycling) to give your body time to recover.
Pro Tip: You don’t need special weights to start rucking. Fill your pack with everyday heavy items – books, water bottles, canned goods, or even bags of sand. Just be sure to wrap any hard objects in a towel for cushioning so they don’t jab your back while you walk, health.clevelandclinic.org. A couple of gallon water jugs (about 8 lbs each) make great adjustable weights – and you can drink the water as you go!
Always listen to your body when rucking. Mild soreness is normal when you begin (since you’re using new muscles), but sharp pain is a red flag to lighten the load or rest. If you have any medical concerns or haven’t exercised in a long time, check with your doctor before launching into rucking. With a sensible approach, you’ll stay safe and injury-free.
Ready to Ruck?
Rucking combines the best of both worlds – you get the heart-health benefits of cardio and the strength-building perks of resistance training, all in one enjoyable, joint-friendly workout. It’s no wonder rucking has caught on as a go-to fitness activity for so many people. As one expert put it, unless you have serious joint issues, rucking is “generally a safe and effective workout for people of all ages and fitness levels.”health.clevelandclinic.org
So what are you waiting for? Grab a backpack, throw in some weight, and head out for a ruck. Start easy, enjoy the process, and feel the difference as you gradually get stronger and go longer. Whether you’re trekking through a park, around your neighborhood, or with a group of friends, rucking can be a fun, motivating, and transformative addition to your fitness journey. Lace up your shoes and give it a try – your heart (and your knees) will thank you!
