Weighted vests are quickly becoming a go-to tool in the fitness community—for good reason. By lacing up your sneakers, strapping on a weighted vest, and heading outdoors, you’re in for an excellent walking workout. Weighted vests improve cardiovascular fitness and lower-body strength, delivering the most bang for your buck. Whether your goal is to sculpt lean muscle or shrink belly fat, this walking upgrade can yield amazing results. We spoke with a fitness pro who breaks down a weight vest walking workout that shrinks belly overhang in 30 days after 50.
“Belly overhang tends to show up more after 50 because of hormonal changes, muscle loss, and a slower metabolism. These shifts make it easier to store fat around the midsection and harder to burn it off,” explains Matt Dustin, NASM corrective exercise specialist with Garage Gym Reviews. “Weighted walking helps because it increases calorie burn without adding joint stress, and it also recruits more core muscles to stabilize your body, which can improve posture and tighten the midsection over time.”
RELATED: Over 45? These 4 Standing Exercises Burn Belly Fat in 30 Days
How Walking With a Weighted Vest Is Effective for Core Engagement
How exactly does incorporating a weighted vest make walking more productive for core engagement and fat loss?
“A weight vest increases the load your body has to move, which means your muscles and cardiovascular system work harder at the same pace,” Dustin notes. “That added challenge boosts calorie burn and forces the core muscles to stabilize against the extra weight. The result is a more efficient walk that blends endurance training with strength work.”
Walking with a weighted vest fires up your hips, back, and core more than regular walking. The added weight makes your obliques and lower back work harder with each step you take.
“Your glutes and quads also get a greater challenge since they need to push off and support a heavier load,” Dustin adds.
The Weight Vest Walking Plan That Melts Belly Fat in 30 Days
Week 1
Shutterstock
- Walk for 20 minutes, 3 days out of the week with the weighted vest.
- Keep your pace relatively quick yet comfortable.
Week 2
Shutterstock
- Walk for 25 minutes, 4 days of the week with the weighted vest.
- Incorporate a slight incline for one walk to further challenge your core.
Week 3
Shutterstock
- Increase the time to 30 minutes, 4 to 5 days per week.
- Include some intervals by walking for 2 minutes fast, then 1 minute at a slower pace.
Week 4
Shutterstock
- Walk for 35 minutes, 5 days a week.
- Include a mix of fast pace, inclines, and intervals to promote calorie burn and core engagement.
Looking for more easy ways to lose fat? Here’s How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications. Read more about Alexa
