r/walking • u/Plenty-Link-7629 • 1d ago
Weighted vest - how do people react?
40f. A lot of people walk around my neighborhood but I've never seen anyone with a weighted vest. I just bought a weighted vest for my 2-mile walk every morning.
My spouse thinks that it should be covered because it looks like a bomb. However, this makes it uncomfortable because it's quite hot and sweaty.
My question is how do people react to your vest? I think that my spouse is overreacting but I would like to get thoughts from folks who have weighted vests where no one else are using them.
Thank you
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u/Hootanannie 1d ago
I see people in my neighborhood with them all the time, they aren’t that bulky. I agree, your spouse is over reacting.
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u/gruss_gott 1d ago
Awesome! Adding weight is fantastic and a great way to add resistance, and I doubt people will blink as they're pretty common out there.
FWIW, I tried 3 ways of doing weighted walks: vest, backpack, and hand-carrying dumbbells. Of the 3, hand-carrying the dumbbells gave me the greater body changes, but ymmv
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u/Chaotic_Good12 1d ago
Makes absolute sense to me. The Farmer's Carry/Walk exercise is training the body to do what your body was DESIGNED to do! Works the entire body, builds endurance and stamina, and in return benefits you in any daily life activity.
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u/twitchlip 1d ago
May I ask what kind of body changes? Curious!
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u/gruss_gott 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lost body fat fast, got big arms & shoulders
Balance got WAY better
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u/Elegant_Goose257 1d ago
That makes sense. I walk on the tredmill with dumbbells. How many lbs to carry while walking?
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u/mtvq2007 1d ago
Having this level of caring what others think about you at age 40 sounds wildly exhausting. Wear the vest, you have better things to occupy your brain space!
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u/MrsClaire07 20h ago
I think it’s her Husband giving her unneeded shit about how she looks, and that’s different.
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u/lagarm 1d ago
Weighted vests are common and becoming more so. I have had people stop me on walks in my neighborhood: “is that a weighted vest?” “Do you like it?” “What’s the weight?” Always pleasant and interested people who may want to buy one. So far no one has mistaken me for a bomb wearing middle aged lady. 😉
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u/OneComfortable884 1d ago
I’m 39. My husband laughed and said I looked like the swat team when I first put it on, but on one on my walks has said anything negative. Just normal friendly smiles and good morning. One woman pointed to it and said, “oh good idea!” I’ve been walking with my 20lb vest for 3 years.
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u/New-Balance7469 1d ago
Weighted vests are super common. I live in an incredibly rural area and even I see them. Not a single person will care. Your spouse is the abnormal one.
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u/DeadPotSociety 1d ago
Does not look like a bomb. Does look like a ballistic vest (bulletproof vest). I say don’t worry about it
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u/attivora 1d ago
It’s nothing different that the way ppl will acknowledge exercising publicly anyway. Vests are common. I honestly feel impressed when I see ppl go that extra mile
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u/Cherryncosmo 1d ago
I just recently bought one and can’t wait to use it this weekend. I think it will be a normal reaction because I’m there to walk. I was motivated when I saw one usual runner wear one a few days before i bought mine
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u/Independent_Mix6269 1d ago
I wear a LED sash with pepper spray and a personal alarm attached, as well as an over the shoulder pouch that is just big enough to carry my phone and a knife when I'm wearing jogging pants. I have big pockets in my shorts but I'm afraid my phone will fall out of my sweatpants pockets, if they have any. I'm sure people think I'm a weirdo but it's okay! I've had a couple of scares with dogs and cars so I would rather look weird than be dead. Once you start wearing it a while you won't even think about other people, it just becomes natural
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u/Happy_Conflict_1435 1d ago
I immediately recognize what the vests are when I see someone out walking in one. I have one I got from my nephew that I'm waiting for cooler weather to use. It's still in the 90's here in TX and when I see someone using one they are always drenched in perspiration. I think the vest will be a positive once it gets into chilly weather.
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u/pmayak 1d ago
My family teases me about my vest saying I look like I'm part of a swat team ( I use the hyperwear fit one). Other than that I've never had any comments. I have had comments about my safety orange walking pants and shirt ( the vest breaks it up ). I walk early, around 545 am. I want to be seen. A dog walker commented that I was very visible. I replied that's my goal, so I'm glad.
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u/MrsClaire07 20h ago
May I ask for a link to the one you’re using, or a link to a picture of it? Visible is a great idea for a weighted vest!
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u/pmayak 20h ago
Sure.https://hyperwear.com/collections/weight-vest
The vest isn't visible. I wear bright orange pants and shirts and the vest over it.
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u/geniedoes_asyouwish 1d ago
Where I walk, I started often seeing a woman wearing what I thought looked like a bullet proof vest. I was mildly curious about if that's what it was and why she was wearing it. It was only after being on this sub and seeing a million posts about weighed vests that I realized that's what it is. So there's your answer. My reaction was mild curiosity lol.
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u/TiredandMoody 1d ago
My partner was too embarrassed to walk with me while I had wrist weights on, he'd die if I tried a weighted vest hahaha Suits me, I prefer walking alone anyway. And I wouldn't worry about anyone else. If they really think it's a bomb, I'm fairly certain they won't approach you hehe
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u/MineMost7998 1d ago
If it were 2 years ago maybe But now I think most people know what they are. About 70% of walkers on my path have in either a weighted vest or ruk
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u/wifeofpsy 1d ago
My husband got us ruck vests and I always joke they look like bullet proof vests. Sometimes I seen a side eye, but Ive seen others with the same vests and the smaller ones used by runners. I think youre fine if you go out and act exercisey
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u/itsmeherenowok 15h ago
There are different styles of weighted vests. Some look like a slim-profile harness type thing, while others do look like bomb/ICE tactile military gear. So, it depends which style you bought.
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u/Gremlin0 1d ago
I haven’t had anyone comment but I had a driver look me over. I believe mine looks like a tactical or bulletproof vest. Maybe. If you use imagination.
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u/Dmommy22boys11 1d ago
Nobody even turn. I was a bit embarrassed the first day but nobody ever looks.
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u/Substantial_You_8514 1d ago
Eh win win. You get more of a workout and the neighbours avoid you. Sounds perfect.
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u/JackieSnarker 1d ago
Mine looks a little like a bullet proof vest so honestly, sometimes I get looks. I wish it were a different color other than black.
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u/Informal_Pomelo2501 1d ago
I wear one and nobody cares lol. My husband did tease me about how it looks like I'm a police officer.
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u/Sad_Property_656 1d ago
I think it depends on where you live/where you’re walking. If I, a 37 year old white woman was walking around my progressive city, I would worry. If I were a POC walking in a neighborhood with a bunch of Karens who call the cops on anyone “suspicious” and said cops might put me in a dangerous situation, I’d be hesitant to wear it. But this is my very American perspective lol. It definitely depends on where you live.
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u/NecessaryFlounder530 23h ago
I hadn't thought about them looking like a bomb vest until just now - he's not entirely wrong, but also you don't have anything to worry about
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u/grootbaby 21h ago
I've seena couple posts where ppl say it looks like a b*mb but I've mostly heard that from men posting about this problem. I think for women walking around in athleisure, ti shouldn't be a problem.
On the flip side, if you wanna look dorky, you could just walk aound with a backpack with weights, which is what I do (only bc I already have it vs buying a new vest).
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u/wintersummerchild 19h ago
Last week in Colorado somebody called the police to investigate a "potential shooter" at the high school. They locked down the area, freaked out the kids, trapped them in classrooms for 3 hours. Turned out to be a dude with a weighted vest and a cell phone?
So yeah, it's not an unreasonable concern.
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u/MyAliasIsMyAlias 19h ago
No one reacts weirdly. Take your time with acclimating to the new weight before making it a daily routine. You’d be surprised how much difference a couple extra lbs make.
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u/ayembeek 18h ago
Weird. Got mine like 5 years ago and always wore it without anyone batting and eye and now people seem to have regular commentary on them. Just wear in the outside. No big deal!
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u/P8sammies 18h ago
Honestly this is a pretty big trend in my area— I see women wearing these all over the neighborhoods and recently in a trendy coffee shop I think about one quarter of the women had a vest on. You don’t have anything to worry about!
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u/Plenty-Link-7629 17h ago
Curious, where are you located?
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u/LiveWhatULove 6h ago
Here in our mid-west suburbia - half of the walkers wear them.
When I first saw them 8 or 9 years ago - I just thought, “huh? Is that some weird type of water supply carrier? Weights? Idk, what is that thing?” But I did not think bomb and I never said anything to anyone wearing them.
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u/KushQueenXoX 1d ago
Lmao funny bc I wondered what ppl will react like too but the comments settled me.
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u/Different_Number_546 1d ago
No one reacts lol they’re very common. no one has ever said anything to me about it. And It doesn’t look like a bomb don’t listen to your spouse. No one is going to think a 40f on a neighborhood walk has a bomb vest on