Rethinking the Weighted Vest: Why Strength Training Remains the Gold Standard for Midlife Women

For many women navigating the menopause transition, efficiency becomes a critical factor in staying active. Time is limited, energy fluctuates, and maintaining bone and muscle mass becomes more important than ever. In recent years, wearable resistance tools like weighted vests have gained popularity for their promise to boost calorie burn and bone density particularly during walking or household chores. It’s also been touted to enhance zone 2 cardio.

As both a clinical pharmacist and women’s health coach, I once encouraged the use of weighted vests as a practical strategy to increase load-bearing activity throughout the day. However, after reviewing the current research and reevaluating client outcomes, I’ve changed my position.

Let’s explore why strength training (not wearable resistance) is still the gold standard for optimizing health outcomes in perimenopausal and menopausal women.

What Are Weighted Vests Supposed to Do?

Weighted vests are marketed as a simple way to add load to everyday activities, aiming to:

• Increase energy expenditure during walking or chores

• Improve bone mineral density

• Support lean muscle maintenance

• Enhance cardiovascular fitness

While the concept is logical, more load equals more effort, the evidence supporting these benefits in midlife women is limited and inconsistent.

What About Zone 2 Cardio with a Weighted Vest?

You may have seen fitness influencers recommend using a weighted vest during Zone 2 cardio: low-intensity, steady-state movement designed to improve aerobic capacity and metabolic health. While this can sound appealing, it’s important to understand that wearing a vest is simply one way to increase the intensity of your walk and not necessarily a better one.

In fact, walking at a brisker pace, adding incline, or increasing duration offers the same cardiovascular stimulus without the potential joint stress or postural compensation that can come from added load.

The goal of Zone 2 training is to stay in a heart rate range that improves mitochondrial efficiency (typically 60–70% of max heart rate). You can achieve this through:

• A moderately paced walk without a vest

• A treadmill walk at 5–10% incline

• Hiking on natural terrain

• Gentle cycling or rowing at consistent effort

The weighted vest isn’t the magic, it’s the intensity and consistency that matter. You can absolutely hit Zone 2 without strapping on extra weight.

For women in midlife with shifting hormone levels and increased risk of joint issues, these low-impact strategies often provide better long-term benefits without unnecessary strain.

The Research: What the Data Actually Shows

1. Bone Health and Resistance Training

The strongest evidence for preserving bone mineral density in midlife women comes from progressive resistance training, not wearable load alone. A meta-analysis by Watson et al. (2018) showed that high-intensity resistance and impact training significantly improved bone density in postmenopausal women, particularly in the spine and femoral neck 1.

Weighted vests, while occasionally helpful as part of a supervised exercise protocol, do not replicate the mechanical stress necessary to produce these changes unless used with deliberate, structured movement (e.g., squats, step-ups with load).

2. Energy Expenditure and Cardiovascular Benefit

While wearing a weighted vest during walking does slightly increase energy expenditure, the change is marginal compared to intentional strength or aerobic training. A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine found that while vests increased heart rate and perceived exertion, the caloric burn was not significantly greater than unweighted walking unless the vest made up at least 10–15% of body weight 2.

For women in midlife with joint concerns, increased load from a vest during prolonged walking may actually increase risk of injury, particularly if posture and gait mechanics are compromised.

3. Muscle Maintenance and Functional Strength

Weighted vests do not provide the progressive overload needed to maintain or grow muscle mass. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), hypertrophy and strength gains require sufficient load, intensity, and progressive resistance training protocols 3. Simply wearing additional weight during daily activities does not meet this threshold.

What Works Better? Progressive Strength Training.

Midlife women benefit most from structured strength training that:

• Targets all major muscle groups

• Uses appropriate resistance (dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, machines)

• Progressively increases load over time

• Includes compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, and presses

• Is performed consistently 2–3 times per week

These principles support not only bone and muscle health but also improve insulin sensitivity, metabolic function, and cardiovascular health- all of which decline during the menopause transition.

Conclusion: Stick With What’s Proven

Weighted vests may feel like a productive “add-on,” but they are not a replacement for a structured strength training routine. If you enjoy using a vest and it helps you move more, by all means, keep it. But if your goal is to protect your bones, preserve muscle, and support healthy aging, dedicated resistance training remains the evidence-based choice.

As women in midlife, we don’t have time to waste on trends that don’t move the needle. Let’s focus on what works.

Ready for a Customized Strength Plan?

If you’re unsure where to start with resistance training or you’re tired of navigating this journey alone, my 1:1 coaching programs are built specifically for midlife women. We’ll design a sustainable, personalized plan that fits your schedule, supports your hormones, and builds the strength you need to thrive in this next chapter.

Click here to learn more about working together

References:

Watson, S. L., Weeks, B. K., Weis, L. J., Harding, A. T., Horan, S. A., & Beck, B. R. (2018). High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 33(2), 211-220. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.3284

Puthoff, M. L., & Nielsen, D. H. (2007). Relationships among impairments in lower-extremity strength and power, functional limitations, and disability in older adults. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 30(3), 93–100.

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). (2021). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.