A safe way to burn more calories

Q. In order to increase the calories I burn during my walks I've been wearing a weighted vest.  Does this work?

A. I took your question to our resident fitness expert, Stephen Cabral, who says walking with a weight vest is a great way to burn extra calories during workouts or when you are out for a walk.

"One great feature of many of these vests," says Steve, "is that the you can vary the weight of the vest by adding or subtracting individual weights from the vest's pockets. This will allow you to gradually increase the resistance and as a result improve your cardiovascular conditioning."

A weighted vest is a much better choice than walking or working out with ankle or hand-held weights, Steve says, because it is much less likely to cause injury or muscle strain. Vests "don't load one isolated joint," he points out. "With a vest you are able to distribute weight over your entire upper body forcing your core, hips, and legs to carry the weight."

Based on Steve's feedback, I'd say that a weight vest is a safe and effective way to increase calorie burn during your walks.

More questions about fitness and exercise? Steve Cabral writes a daily blog on fitness right here on Nutrition Data and is a great source of information and inspiration. Check it out!