JANZ’s resident physiotherapists, Malcolm Hood and Rebecca Mooney, recently found this interesting article and thought it an interesting one to share with us all. Article previously written by Phil Hilton and published in The Times.
I am roughly halfway through a 17km walk when the weight on my back starts to take ownership of my entire body. It has made me keenly interested in terrain (pebbly beaches are evil), it has corrected my posture instantly (no choice) and it has made me stride along like . . . well, like a hero. My shoulders are back, my chest thrust forwards and each step is deliberate and assured. Welcome to rucking.
Walking with a weighted backpack (mine had 10kg nestling inside it) has become a global phenomenon. What began life as something soldiers did with their heavy backpacks has turned into a passion for thousands of men and women — a way to exercise, lose weight and gain confidence.
It sits between walking, which always feels as if it partly belongs on dating profiles alongside open fires and pub lunches, and distance running, which just isn’t that pleasant for many us. So, if you hate running but want to lose weight, embrace the weighted backpack. Depending on your body weight, and the speed of your ruck, you can expect to burn 40 per cent more calories with 20kg on your back than conventional walking. On my ruck I was burning about 170 calories every 30 minutes.
The fear when carrying any load is its potential to damage your back. However, in the case of rucking the opposite is true. Walking with good form and a weighted backpack can actually be therapeutic. Dr Stuart McGill, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo in Canada, explains that having a weight on your back relieves the strain on the muscles.
“The muscles are like cables that pull bones to hold posture. The spine joint is like the fulcrum of a seesaw. The backpack is like the weight on the other end of the seesaw, decreasing the load on the back.”
Like most of us I spend a lot of time bent over a keyboard, and when I’m not doing that I have the posture of a sulking adolescent. When I put the weighted rucksack on it pulled me upright. My horrendous round shoulders were cranked painlessly into a far more dignified and healthy position.
Rucking strengthens the core, and indeed the whole body. It’s about three times easier on the knees than running because you are not striking the ground so hard when you move. If you raise the pace or head uphill it also becomes a powerful cardiovascular workout.
I was soon to discover that walking and carrying a load feels very natural and comfortable from the moment you start, in a way that lifting weights or gym classes do not. This is possibly because we are built to do this. Runner’s World reported that anthropologists have found that we are unusually good at carrying things as a species. Hunter-gatherers were not only very well suited to long-distance treks, but they were also evolved to carry heavy loads back to their dependants.
Start by packing your rucksack with about 10 per cent of your body weight. I used two 5kg weight plates wrapped in a towel. I weigh about 70kg, so my 10kg was heavy for a beginner. I have embarrassingly short legs (30in) and set out genuinely nervous that I would be brought down by thigh/back/foot/knee issues miles from the nearest taxi or pub.
I hit the Suffolk coast, and its huge beaches, both sandy and stony, conspired to sap my self-belief and rob me of my very limited supply of grit. The deal I’d made with myself was to be fast and continuous with as little dilly-dallying as possible. It quickly became clear that I was not on a walk, I was doing something my body recognised instantly as a serious fitness challenge. Also I started to experience a distinct and fresh sensation I believe is at the heart of rucking’s popularity — outdoor discomfort.
In a world that is heated, seated, Ubered, escalatored and carpeted, taking on something that requires you to access that toughness you’d forgotten you possessed is very satisfying. On my Suffolk adventure the straps dug into my shoulders, my thighs stung and I never want to see a shingle beach again, but I’m proud to say I did it. And I will do it again.
My ruck culminated in a slab of coffee and walnut cake the size of a wardrobe. I have no idea whether this element has been factored into Navy Seal training. If it hasn’t it certainly should be.
How to start rucking
● Any strong rucksack will do. Ideally choose one with waist and chest straps and tighten all the fastenings. Start with 4.5kg. You can use filled water bottles, sandbags from a DIY store, bricks or magazines — anything that can be wrapped and contained so it does not move when you do.
● The weight should be up on the middle of your back and evenly distributed with tight bindings.
● Start with a two-mile walk. Then build the number of rucks you attempt with each passing week, moving to three two-mile walks in week two and on to three four-mile rucks in your sixth week. Add 5 per cent to your weights around this stage.
● To push on with the challenge, and if you are already used to strenuous exercise, you can walk faster, increase the weight or introduce bear crawls and burpees. However, do not increase the weight too quickly or attempt very lengthy rucks without first building your capability. This is important and will prevent injury.
Phil Hilton is cohost of the Manatomy podcast with Danny Wallace