A Beginner's Guide to Rucking

Rucking involves walking or hiking with a weighted backpack and is an exciting way to combine strength, endurance, and the great outdoors. Originating from military training, where soldiers march with weighted packs to prepare for the demands of duty, rucking has now become mainstream fitness. It's simple and effective and provides a challenging, rewarding way to improve physical fitness.

By adding a weighted back to walks and hikes, rucking transforms a basic activity into a full-body workout. This combination of cardiovascular and strength training boosts physical fitness and fosters mental resilience. Plus, rucking is doable in urban and natural settings, so it's a versatile workout that's adaptable to most fitness levels.

Ahead, explore the world of rucking, its benefits, how to get started, and why it could be the perfect way to add some adventure to your fitness routine.

What is Rucking?

Rucking is essentially walking or hiking, but with a twist: you carry a weighted backpack, known as a rucksack, which adds an extra layer of challenge to the activity. This simple yet effective modification turns a regular walk or hike into a more intense workout, engaging various muscle groups and increasing the physical demands of the exercise.

It’s an all-around excellent way to get exercise that is modifiable for nearly all fitness levels. Beginners might start with a lighter weight, while more experienced ruckers could add more weight or choose more challenging routes to increase the difficulty. The beauty of rucking is that it is straightforward, easy to start, and can help you reach multiple fitness goals, including building endurance, strength, resilience, and functional movement.

Benefits of Rucking

Rucking can be a fun hobby that comes with a wide range of benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to building mental toughness. Here's a closer look at the benefits of incorporating rucking into your fitness routine:

Cardiovascular Health

Walking or hiking, especially when carrying an extra weight like a rucksack, amplifies your heart rate, which can lead to better cardiovascular health and endurance. Exercise that increases your heart rate helps strengthen your heart muscle, making it more efficient at pumping blood throughout your body. Over time, regular hiking can lead to lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease.

Strength and Muscle Building

Carrying a weighted backpack during your ruck engages and strengthens practically all of your major muscle groups. Your legs, core, and back, in particular, bear the brunt of the extra weight, building muscle strength and endurance. Over time, engaging these muscles leads to a stronger, more resilient body that’s more capable of handling everyday tasks. Research shows rucking increases squat jump force, push-ups, and sit-ups and reduces how physically demanding tasks feel—all signs of improved overall physical fitness.

Low-Impact Exercise

If you have joint issues or are seeking exercise options that are easier on the body, rucking offers a perfect solution. Unlike high-impact activities like running and jumping, which can strain joints and lead to injuries, rucking is a low-impact exercise. It allows you to reap the benefits of a full-body workout without putting undue stress on your knees, hips, and ankles. The one caveat is that you need to find an appropriate load that won't aggravate you if joint pain under load is a concern.

Mental Toughness

Beyond the physical benefits, challenging yourself physically during rucking may build mental toughness. Persevering through a ruck, especially over challenging terrain or with hefty weight, can help to foster resilience and determination. This mental fortitude can rub off onto other areas of life, making you feel more able to tackle difficulties with confidence and perseverance.

For staying tough during those long rucks, it's all about consistently doing things that make you feel stronger, according to Steve Stonehouse, NASM-CPT and VP of Programming and Education at Body Fit Training (BFT). "Seriously, that feeling is like rocket fuel-it sticks around longer and gets easier the more you do it," he says.

Functional Fitness

Rucking mimics real-life activities that involve carrying heavy loads, such as groceries or a child, thereby improving functional strength. After consistent time spent under a rucksack, everyday tasks may feel easier, and you may have less risk of injury. By preparing your body for real-world physical demands, you may notice that your body is better able to do practically anything you ask of it, in or out of the gym.

Improves Mental Wellbeing

Nichele Cihlar, strength and conditioning coach and director of training with GoRuck, says that if you keep your mind on the goal, eventually, the ruck will just become a part of you, and you won’t even notice you're working out. "I have never gone for a ruck and come back in a bad headspace," she shares.

Taking the time to get some fresh air and move your body while doing something that physically challenges you is great for your mental health. "Ruck in a new place with new scenery to focus on, listen to a podcast, or enjoy the peace in silence," suggests Cihlar. Just being in nature while you exercise can be an amazing way to support your mental health and reduce anxiety, feelings of fatigue, and depression.

How to Get Started with Rucking

If you're convinced to try rucking, it's wise to gather information on gear, form, and ideal weight to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Choosing a Backpack

Comfort and adjustability are the top priorities when you're choosing a rucksack. Begin with a backpack that fits well and offers adjustable straps to ensure it sits snugly against your body. Look for a backpack with proper support, ideally one with a padded back and shoulder straps to distribute weight evenly and reduce the risk of discomfort and strain.

Determining Ideal Weight

Selecting the right weight will make or break your rucking experience. The weight in your backpack is what takes the activity from a basic walk into a rucking workout. Cihlar says if you're unsure of what you can handle, start with 5 or 10 pounds and then build from there. "If you are rucking around a 15-minute mile, you can up the weight some if you feel ready. I like to alternate between shorter, heavy rucks and longer, lighter rucks. It is very simple to adjust based on how you are feeling at any time," she says. 

Starting with Proper Form

Maintaining proper walking or hiking posture is the best way to avoid injuries and get the most out of your rucking sessions. Keep your back straight and shoulders back, and look forward rather than down at your feet so that the weight of the backpack doesn't pull you backward or cause strain. If you're unsure about your form, getting tips in person from a coach or trainer is a good idea.

Stonehouse explains that rucking puts less strain on your body compared to other cardio, but the extra weight makes your legs, back, shoulders, and core work the whole time, which can impact your walking gait. Decreasing or increasing the weight of the rucksack or weighted vest or altering your pace is an easy way to tweak your gait and keep your form on point.

Sample Rucking Workout for Beginners

To kickstart your rucking journey, here's a simple workout suitable for beginners:

• Distance: Start by walking a manageable distance that feels comfortable, such as 1 to 2 miles. Build up gradually to avoid overexertion.
• Duration: Aim for a duration of 30 to 45 minutes for your initial rucks. As you progress, you can increase the duration and distance according to your fitness level and goals.
• Weight: Begin with a weight that's around 10% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, start with a 15-pound weight in your backpack. As you become more comfortable with rucking, you can add more weight incrementally. “Listen to your body and only increase the weight and distance as you are physically prepared to do so. Rucking is very safe and a great way to get outside for an injury-free workout,” says Cihlar.
• Pace: Maintain a steady pace that allows you to walk without overexerting yourself. The goal is to keep moving and maintain your heart rate at a moderate level.
  

Bottom Line

Rucking is a fun and accessible physical activity that can be adaptable to nearly any fitness level. As Cihlar puts it, "You can ruck along the ocean, in the mountains, in snow, rain, or shine. A ruck is like a gym on your back that you can take anywhere." As she says, rucking neatly combines all the amazing benefits of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and mental resilience to improve physical fitness and overall health.

If you have fitness goals such as increasing endurance, building muscle, or taking your workouts outdoors, rucking fits the bill. It's simple but also easily adjustable by increasing or decreasing the intensity with custom weight, distance, terrain, and speed that fit your abilities. What's more, you'll build confidence, motivation, and mental toughness one adventure at a time.