It burns calories. For example, a simple 30-minute walk for an average man burns about 125 kcal, but it is worth adding a backpack with a small weight to it, and 125 kcal turns into 325 kcal (according to the collection of physical activities).
Dan John, a well-known trainer and author of Can You Go, considers this type of training especially effective for fat burning.
This relieves or prevents back pain. This is especially important for those who spend most of their working day sitting. Then, going to the sports club and starting to lift a barbell or sitting down at the simulator, you risk injuring your back. At least that's what Stu McGill, doctor and professor of Spinal biomechanics, author of Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, thinks.
People who have earned an intervertebral hernia often lean forward while walking. This only worsens the situation and puts more pressure on the hernia, as the body has to put even more strain on the back muscles in order to keep the trunk in an upright position.
A backpack with a small weight as an addition to a walk helps to keep your back in an upright position, so that your muscles no longer need to work so hard.
This is a safe way to develop endurance. Jason Hartman, a trainer of soldiers from the special forces of the US Army, believes that the cardio benefits of walking with a backpack are comparable to a long jog. But, unlike running, which is quite traumatic (the probability of injury is 20-79%, according to research by the British Journal of Sports Medicine), racing makes you less prone to injury. It helps to develop stability in the hips and posture in general and makes your other sports-related activities safer.
Thanks to the development of endurance, the effectiveness of your training in the gym will also increase.
It's cheap and makes you want to go outside. As we said above, this type of fitness does not require special uniforms or equipment. All you need is you and a comfortable backpack with a small load. That's it. You can leave a spare backpack at work and go out for a workout at lunchtime. This is a great way to take a break from the monitors and screens that surround us from all sides, and just relax.
Choose your weight. So, first you need to determine the optimal weight of your cargo. For the first time, it can be 10% of your body weight. For example, if your weight is 68 kg, you should take 6.8 kg with you. After you feel comfortable with this weight, you can increase it to 15 kg.
But you can't take a lot of weight right away! You can carry a 15-kilogram backpack for days, or even months after preparation, but if you immediately take such a weight, it can break you.
What is the best way to download? Here you can already let your imagination run wild. It all depends on what you have on hand. It can be dumbbells, pancakes from a barbell, a bag of sand or bricks. In order for the weight not to hang out inside the backpack, it is better to wrap it in a towel.
For a small weight, you can use any backpack, but for a heavy version (the same 15 kg), it is advisable to find a backpack with good support.
Go ahead! Now you can go for a walk, a light run or a short hike. If you haven't been hiking with backpacks before or haven't walked much at all, you may start to get sore muscles in places that are quite unexpected for you: the muscles around your knees, buttocks and lower back.
And don't forget that you can not only walk, but also run with a backpack. But this option is exclusively for trained people without knee and back injuries!
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