S02E07 - Don’t Run, Just Ruck It
What do you call it when you carry weight in a backpack, walk around, and return home... all without any real destination? It’s called rucking, and it’s a surprisingly effective, military-inspired fitness practice that’s catching on with everyone from elite athletes to everyday adventurers.
In this episode, we unpack:
- The history and basics of rucking (yes, Romans did it too!)
- Why it builds strength, cardio capacity, and bone density
- The mental health boost of walking with purpose and a little extra load
- What to watch out for — and how to avoid injuries
- What gear you really need to get started
- How to fit rucking into your weekly fitness routine
Whether you’re walking the dog or training like a tactical pro, rucking is a simple, scalable, and joint-friendly way to level up your health.
Additional resources are available in the links below.
- Rucking for Women Over 40 – Steph Gaudreau
- The effects of military style ruck marching on lower extremity loading and muscular, physiological and perceived exertion in ROTC cadets - PubMed
- The benefits of “rucking” - Seniors Today
- What is rucking? | Australian Seniors
- Rucking For Seniors: Full Interview & Personal Advice
- Rucking For Seniors: Benefits, Safety Tips, Techniques, Gear, And Routes
- Rucking for Seniors
- Rucking Safety Tips for Seniors
- The Risks And Rewards Of Rucking For Seniors - RuckingBasics.com
- What is Rucking: The Complete Guide
- How I'm Training for a 50-Mile Ruck
- A Deep Dive Into Rucking by Michael Easter – GORUCK Blog Archive
- Why fitness experts swear by this simple military-inspired exercise
- What Is Rucking?
- What Is Rucking & Is It Safe? Benefits, Downsides & How to Do It
- Rucking: Benefits and Safety Tips
- Combining Rucking and Running
- Ruck Training Plan: How to Prepare for Your March | OPEX Fitness
- Rucking Injury Prevention Guide | 10 Common Rucking Injuries to Avoid - RuckingBasics.com
- Common Rucking Injuries & Prevention Tips
- Rucking - Benefits & Risks
- 11 Awesome Benefits of Rucking
- The Top 19 Benefits of Rucking - SugarWOD
- 17 Incredible Benefits of Rucking | How Rucking Changes You
- The Science-Backed Benefits of Rucking for Your Body and Mind - EnduraLAB - Gym in Fort Worth, TX
- ACE - Certified™: May 2023 - The Surprising Benefits of Rucking (and Why Your Clients Might Love It)
- Rucking: What It Is and How to Do It | StrongFirst
- About Rucking
- Foot Marches (pdf)
- Biomechanics and energetics of walking on uneven terrain - PMC
- Ergonomic comparison of seven modes of carrying loads on the horizontal plane - PubMed
- Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests
- The Ultimate Backpacking Calorie Estimator
- Predicting energy expenditure with loads while standing or walking very slowly - PubMed
- Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects – A proof of concept randomized clinical trial
- Load-Carriage Conditioning Elicits Task-Specific Physical and Psychophysical Improvements in Males - PubMed
- Sex-Specific Physical Performance Adaptive Responses Are Elicited After 10 Weeks of Load Carriage Conditioning
- Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities - PubMed
- Physiological impact of load carriage exercise: Current understanding and future research directions - PMC
- Low Volume, Home-Based Weighted Step Exercise Training Can Improve Lower Limb Muscle Power and Functional Ability in Community-Dwelling Older Women - PMC
- Rucking Calorie Calculator
Please send us feedback by email to feedback@scaledto.fit
Go to podchaser.com/scaledtofit and give us a rating.
#scaledtofit #fitness #grownupfitness #scaling
