What do you call it when you carry weight in a backpack, walk around, and return home... all without any real destination? It’s called rucking, and it’s a surprisingly effective, military-inspired fitness practice that’s catching on with everyone from elite athletes to everyday adventurers.

In this episode, we unpack:

• The history and basics of rucking (yes, Romans did it too!)
• Why it builds strength, cardio capacity, and bone density
• The mental health boost of walking with purpose and a little extra load
• What to watch out for — and how to avoid injuries
• What gear you really need to get started
• How to fit rucking into your weekly fitness routine

Whether you’re walking the dog or training like a tactical pro, rucking is a simple, scalable, and joint-friendly way to level up your health.

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Additional resources are available in the links below.

• Rucking for Women Over 40 – Steph Gaudreau
• The effects of military style ruck marching on lower extremity loading and muscular, physiological and perceived exertion in ROTC cadets - PubMed
• The benefits of “rucking” - Seniors Today
• What is rucking? | Australian Seniors
• Rucking For Seniors: Full Interview & Personal Advice
• Rucking For Seniors: Benefits, Safety Tips, Techniques, Gear, And Routes
• Rucking for Seniors
• Rucking Safety Tips for Seniors
• The Risks And Rewards Of Rucking For Seniors - RuckingBasics.com
• What is Rucking: The Complete Guide
• How I'm Training for a 50-Mile Ruck
• A Deep Dive Into Rucking by Michael Easter – GORUCK Blog Archive
• Why fitness experts swear by this simple military-inspired exercise
• What Is Rucking?
• What Is Rucking & Is It Safe? Benefits, Downsides & How to Do It
• Rucking: Benefits and Safety Tips
• Combining Rucking and Running
• Ruck Training Plan: How to Prepare for Your March | OPEX Fitness
• Rucking Injury Prevention Guide | 10 Common Rucking Injuries to Avoid - RuckingBasics.com
• Common Rucking Injuries & Prevention Tips
• Rucking - Benefits & Risks
• 11 Awesome Benefits of Rucking
• The Top 19 Benefits of Rucking - SugarWOD
• 17 Incredible Benefits of Rucking | How Rucking Changes You
• The Science-Backed Benefits of Rucking for Your Body and Mind - EnduraLAB - Gym in Fort Worth, TX
• ACE - Certified™: May 2023 - The Surprising Benefits of Rucking (and Why Your Clients Might Love It)
• Rucking: What It Is and How to Do It | StrongFirst
• About Rucking
• Foot Marches (pdf)
• Biomechanics and energetics of walking on uneven terrain - PMC
• Ergonomic comparison of seven modes of carrying loads on the horizontal plane - PubMed
• Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests
• The Ultimate Backpacking Calorie Estimator
• Predicting energy expenditure with loads while standing or walking very slowly - PubMed
• Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects – A proof of concept randomized clinical trial
• Load-Carriage Conditioning Elicits Task-Specific Physical and Psychophysical Improvements in Males - PubMed
• Sex-Specific Physical Performance Adaptive Responses Are Elicited After 10 Weeks of Load Carriage Conditioning
• Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities - PubMed
• Physiological impact of load carriage exercise: Current understanding and future research directions - PMC
• Low Volume, Home-Based Weighted Step Exercise Training Can Improve Lower Limb Muscle Power and Functional Ability in Community-Dwelling Older Women - PMC
• Rucking Calorie Calculator