You've probably noticed there's a lot of debate about whether you need to run to improve cardio, or whether other activities like walking or hiking could replace it.
I'm a personal trainer who walks and runs for different reasons: I walk to ease stress, exercise (myself and my dog) and contribute toward my overall activity levels (known as NEAT), while I run to strengthen my heart and lungs and feel good.
But with the rise in rucking popularity, which involves walking with a weighted vest, I wanted to speak with those in the know to see if it could replace running for cardio. Below, a strength coach and running expert weigh in.
So, which is the cardio-building prize? Here's your final answer.
Benefits of rucking
Rebecca is a Peloton instructor based in NYC.
"Rucking offers several benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance, and increased functional capacity," says Rebecca Kennedy, a strength coach and Peloton instructor. "It supports postural strength and endurance and provides a low-impact form of conditioning with adjustable intensity. Finally, it’s accessible and enjoyable."
"Rucking is certainly lower impact, with less ground-reaction forces, although foot injuries have been reported anecdotally," says running expert and coach ArjThiruchelvam. "There are certainly benefits to strength and posture and, in a calorie-controlled diet, this would help support fat loss.
"Running naturally poses a high injury rate amongst beginners and those with very high volumes or who are deconditioned," he adds.
Arj has trained 2500+ athletes and coached Olympians to everyday runners.
Benefits of running
"Running has been shown in a meta-analysis (Pedisic et al., 2020) to lead to substantial health and longevity benefits in addition to lower risk of all-cause mortality, starting with just one dose per week. It’s incredibly efficient at improving VO2 Max and also supporting bone health," Thiruchelvam tells us.
"Running is beneficial for your mental and metabolic health, muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness, bone health, as well as joint and connective tissue capacity," adds Kennedy. "It’s also time-efficient and supports running-specific performance."
Can rucking replace running for cardio?
"It can, but it depends on your goal and what you're trying to achieve," explains Kennedy. "First, I think it’s important to recognize that running is not a requirement for good cardiovascular health or overall fitness. Rather than asking a binary question (whether rucking can replace running), I'd encourage people to ask what they're hoping to accomplish through exercise.
"Both running and rucking can improve cardiovascular health, aerobic endurance, metabolic health and muscular conditioning, but they challenge the body differently. Running generally allows you to reach higher cardiovascular intensities and provides repetitive high impact, which can be super helpful in developing bone strength, joint and tendon capacity, and the ability to absorb and produce force.
"Rucking increases physical demands of walking by adding an external resistance. Rucking challenges our cardiovascular system, muscular endurance and postural muscles and ability to carry load without the repetitive high impact that running does."
On that note, Kennedy explains you don't get identical adaptations, and "one is not inherently better than the other." If you don't enjoy running, you can still do plyometrics, HIIT, jumping rope, or other sports like boxing or dancing to achieve the same types of fitness without running.
"We simply want to train our bodies to be capable, adaptable and resilient across a variety of physical demands. That being said, I think it's important to acknowledge both preferences, enjoyability, barrier to entry and current fitness level as guides," she adds.
Both running and rucking can improve cardiovascular health, aerobic endurance, metabolic health and muscular conditioning, but they challenge the body differently.
Rebecca Kennedy, strength coach
"Rucking can help people develop or maintain an aerobic base; that’s the lower-intensity, zone 1- zone 2 exercise," adds Thiruchelvam. "However, it certainly doesn’t help develop the higher intensity zones and associated muscular benefits that exist as a result of that faster-paced effort.
"The speed at which you perform the activity has a greater impact on physiological changes, and therefore, although rucking can elevate your heart rate, it cannot replicate the effect of running. In particular, heart rate can continue rising while oxygen levels off."
Contraindications
Thiruchelvam tells us that "running naturally poses a high injury rate amongst beginners and those with very high volumes or who are deconditioned... It’s also plausible to consider that the weight of the backpack may alter walking gait and mechanics."
He adds, "The contraindications to rucking revolve around current health and injuries of the spine, lower limbs, heart health and blood pressure, as usual. In addition to that, osteoporosis, surgeries, hernias and impaired balance are all serious considerations that need advice from a doctor."
"Rucking places additional load on your spine and can cause postural fatigue if the load is carried too long or is too heavy too soon," adds Kennedy. "It also may not be suitable for those seeking higher-impact or higher-intensity workouts. Finally, it’s not a replacement for strength training.
"My preference is to use a weighted vest over a backpack because the weight is distributed more evenly and it sits closer to your body, reducing any potential neck strain. If you don't have a vest and want to start, a backpack can work. Just make sure it’s snug, and the straps are pulled down so it isn't sagging in the back and the weight is distributed more evenly."
Kennedy adds, "While running has many benefits, it’s not the best for those who don’t enjoy it. Other things to consider are the repetitive impact and overuse; the higher recovery demands and barrier to entry; adaptation to running can take time; and finally individual limitations...if you have injuries, osteopenia, osteoporosis, or sarcopenia."
Rucking places additional load on your spine and can cause postural fatigue if the load is carried too long or is too heavy too soon. It also may not be suitable for those seeking higher-impact or higher-intensity workouts.
Rebecca Kennedy.
How to choose between them
"You may wish to incorporate rucking into your routine on easy days for more aerobic development or if you’re overweight or deconditioned and find running not yet realistic," recommends Thiruchelvam. "Running should be the priority if you want to run fast, for VO2 Max improvement, or if you have an upcoming race."
You may wish to incorporate rucking into your routine on easy days for more aerobic development or if you’re overweight or deconditioned and find running not yet realistic.
Arj Thiruchelvam, running coach
Kennedy suggests considering rucking if you don't enjoy running, want to reduce impact, and want to build postural strength and muscular endurance. You might also include rucking if you want to improve cardiovascular health and increase your load-carrying capabilities. Plus, it's an accessible way to increase the demands of your regular walks.
"Ultimately, both are valuable tools," she explains. "Personally, I enjoy the way I feel before, during and after a weighted vest walk. I love walking and think the weighted vest is a wonderful addition to my walks.
"You can be exceptionally fit without running. But being fit in one capacity doesn't automatically mean you're prepared for every physical demand. The goal should be to have a routine that trains you to be strong, capable, adaptable and resilient. Rucking and/or running should not be the only type of workout we do."
Verdict
So, there you have it. You could replace your runs with rucks, and there are plenty of benefits, plus some drawbacks, for both. However, the demands aren't the same, and the outcomes aren't identical, which means you might need to add more variety into your routine to achieve various fitness goals.
Just remember that your body and any health conditions or injuries matter, so consider the benefits and downsides of both before deciding which benefit you most.
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