Is Wearing a Weighted Vest Bad for My Spine?

Most people would agree that working out means pushing yourself to the limits. While this statement holds true, some people take it even farther -- by strapping on a weighted vest. 

The idea behind this is to add resistance and thus, taking your cardio game up another notch. The more resistance you encounter, the harder your body has to work to withstand the added load. This is how you can develop strength and endurance -- by slowly adding more and more weight to your vest for continuous progress.

But this has also raised concerns on whether the spine suffers from the extra weight. 

Will the spine suffers from the extra weight

Let’s get anatomical, for a second.

The spine is one of the most important parts of your body. Your spinal column consists of 33 vertebrae and intervertebral discs. It is what holds you up and supports you, allowing you to move freely and flexibly. While the spine is intertwined with muscles that can benefit from exercises with a weighted vest, it also puts a lot of pressure on your spine.

Many things can happen. Your intervertebral discs may get compressed and lead to an injury, putting you away for at least a week -- or more.

And if you already suffer back pain from a previous injury, then your spine will be begging you to sit this one out. Unless the back pain is caused by muscle weakness.

Is wearing a weighted vest bad for your spine

Let’s weigh this out (pun intended). No two spines are the same. Everyone is born different and unique.

A strong healthy spine and correct exercise form decreases the risk of intervertebral disks.

The weight vest itself plays an important role as well. If the weights are not evenly distributed, this may spell an even larger injury from the stress on targeted areas or muscles of the body. It is true that a weight vest can make or break your game.

Here is some characteristic of a good weight vest that will not only enhance your game, but minimize the chance of injury.

Adjustable weighted vests that moves with you

Choose the weight vest that fits you best. It should fit snugly without any bouncing around when you're doing some vigorous training. This prevents unwanted momentum from happening while wearing your weight vest, which could lead to injury or discomfort during your workout routine.

The key here is how a weight vest offers an adjustable fit. Our weighted vest is able to adjust to accommodate any body shape, whether you're skinny or overweight and are male or female. The strong belt that goes around the waist comes with a length of up to 160cm/63" for optimal comfort so it will never slip off your shoulders during intense workouts.

Customizable weights for all fitness level

The human body and the weight it can handle are not one-size-fits all. It is important that every person understand their limitations so they don't go about weights carelessly or put themselves in danger of injury. Start with a low weight then gradually add more as needed.

This means being aware what your fitness level entails, how to increase resistance levels gradually over time, knowing when enough's enough with a weighted vest before putting on more than you're able to carry--and finally understanding that there isn't always just one way for anything; listen to your own body!

Balance the weights

For adjustable weighted vest like Grav Weight Vest. Always adjust the weight in pair of weight blocks.

That said, they should be perfectly balance in term of left and right, and front and back. For example, if you decided to start with 8kg(17.6lbs). Place four of the weight blocks in the front and four at the back of the vest. In the same slot position front and back.

Be mindful of posture

Keep your back straight at all time, even when bending down to the ground. This will keep you from twisting your lower back - a major risk for injury and pain. Bending forward with knee bent more than waist allows for better control of balance as it minimizes torque on the spine's discs in various positions- good if you need to reach something off of an upper shelf or chair!

Activate the core muscles (as well as arms) anytime they can be used together so that each individual muscle is working less hard; this means activating them while reaching down low enough instead of just bending over like before.

The Takeaway

In addition to providing a weighty challenge for your muscles, weighted vests are great equipment that can help strengthen your spine. The best weight vest you use will maximize the amount of weights it carries and allow them to be easily customized in size; make sure posture is good when wearing one as well so not only do they build strength but also increase stability all around with their added intensity - just what we need!