Why I Wear an 8-Pound Vest Every Day

I love my weighted vest. It’s one of my favorite, most underrated tools for fitness and longevity. I use an 8-pound vest and it has completely changed the way I move through my day. I don’t just wear it during workouts, I’ll put it on while walking the dog, moving around the house, or heading out for a quick errand. It turns everyday activity into a metabolic booster without adding extra hours to my workout schedule.

When you add extra load to the movements you’re already doing, your body works harder  which means you burn more calories in the same amount of time. Whether I’m doing squats in my living room or walking around the kitchen, my heart rate goes up, my muscles engage, and my metabolism gets a push.

After 50, we naturally start to lose bone density. Weighted vests add safe, consistent resistance, signaling the body to hold on to (and even build) bone mass. You’re also strengthening the muscles that protect your joints, improving balance and stability.

Muscle is our body’s engine. The more lean muscle we keep, the better we burn energy and the stronger and more independent we stay as we age. The vest challenges multiple muscle groups at once, especially your core and posture muscles, without complicated equipment. It doesn’t just prepare you for the gym, it prepares you for life. Carrying groceries, traveling with luggage, picking up grandkids all become easier when your daily movement includes added resistance.

If you’re new to this, start light. Aim for 5–10% of your body weight. My 8-pound vest is perfect for me enough to feel challenged but not so heavy that it strains my joints. Make it routine by wearing it for walks, housework, or even while on a call. Add it to your workouts: squats, lunges, push-ups, and step-ups all become more effective. But remember to listen to your body, slight muscle fatigue is good, and joint pain is a sign to adjust.

This simple tool has helped me burn more calories, build bone density, strengthen my body, and boost my confidence. For me, that’s what wellness after 50 is all about working smarter, not just harder, so we can keep moving with energy and purpose for decades to come.