The Truth About Weighted Vests
Have you noticed all the menopause coaches promoting weighted vests as the new secret weapon for midlife health?
We have. And just to be clear: we are not knocking it. A weighted vest can absolutely be a tool.
If you have lost a significant amount of weight and you want to keep your daily calorie burn high, this kind of vest can help.
Why? A weighted vest can replicate the calorie burn you once had when you were carrying more body weight.
So yes, it can be useful, specifically after weight loss.
But here is what we find concerning:
Suggesting a weighted vest can replace strength training does women in perimenopause and menopause a disservice, because it ignores what truly supports their bodies at this stage.
Because no matter how much you wear one, a weighted vest cannot do what strength training does.
Same goes for Pilates, barre, and yoga.
Strength training does not just support strength and muscle growth. It also:
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Stimulates osteoblasts, the cells that build bone.
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Protects you from sarcopenia, the age-related muscle loss that accelerates every decade after 30.
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Guards against osteoporosis, which leaves women at higher risk for fractures as they age.
Walking with a weighted vest will not provide all that.
And here is the part no one tells you:
For most women starting out a fitness journey, their body is already functioning like a weighted vest.
If you are carrying extra body weight, every single step you take is like a combination of resistance training plus increased cardiovascular effort.
That's why simply walking can feel so much harder during the latter stages of pregnancy.
And why doing our strength workouts with primarily body weight to start is challenging enough for many!
If your goal is to change the way your body looks and feels…
If you want visible muscle, a faster metabolism, and the ability to move through perimenopause and menopause without being blindsided by symptoms…
You need progressive strength training.
Think about it this way...
Walking with or without a vest mainly trains endurance (or, type 1) fibers.
They are great for stability and heart health, but they do not support absolute strength or power movements.
Progressive strength training recruits the type 2 fibers.
Those fibers are what give you sculpted arms, defined legs, and a core that does more than “look flat.”
They create strength from the inside out.
And here is where it really matters:
Muscle is not just about how you look.
It's your engine that allows you to eat more food.
It's your metabolic sponge that keeps your blood sugar more balanced.
And most of all, it's your longevity plan to avoid sarcopenia.
Women lose 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass every decade after 30 unless they implement specific nutritional and training interventions.
Add in osteoporosis, and you have two major risks that can leave women weak, fragile, and frustrated in midlife.
The good news?
Progressive strength training can prevent both.
It keeps your bones stronger, your metabolism faster, and your body resilient as you age.
We see it all the time.
Women come in thinking they need more cardio.
Or they need to burn more calories.
Or they need to strap on a weighted vest to “make walking harder.”
But once they start real strength training, the kind that is designed to progressively challenge their muscles, they start seeing the results:
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They notice their clothes fitting differently.
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They feel more energy, not less.
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Their cravings and blood sugar swings even out.
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And they finally start to see the shape they have been chasing for years.
That is why we designed every single workout inside our All Access Pass with intention.
It is not cardio disguised as weights.
It is not a random sweat session that leaves you sore for the sake of being sore.
It is programming that recruits the right muscle fibers, challenges them just enough, and builds the lean, defined muscle that changes your metabolism.
All without tanking your hormones or frying your nervous system.
And you are not left on your own.
Our team of instructors gives you feedback on your form.
That way you know you are safe and targeting the right muscles.
Because just going through the motions will not deliver results.
The way you move matters as much as the workout itself.
So yes, keep walking.
Add a vest if it makes you excited to get outside.
But do not mistake it for strength training.
If you want to reshape your body, support your metabolism, and move through your 40s, 50s, and beyond with strength and confidence…
The foundation is progressive resistance training.
Everything else is just extra.
Ready to experience what proper programming actually feels like?
👉 [Click here to start your 2-week free trial]
In strength,
Lisa, Shannon and The Green Door Life Team
P.S. If you join Awaken Your Nutrition, you get the All Access Pass for FREE for 3 months 🤩 You'll also get a complimentary coach matching session + save $500 if you join by August 31st.
