Doctors Say Consistency Matters Most When Using a Weighted Vest to Combat Menopause Bone and Muscle Loss
Weighted vests make everyday movement work harder, sending a signal to bones to build density while helping women reclaim muscle that midlife tends to take away.
Menopause brings hormone shifts that quietly erode bone and muscle, and a growing number of women are strapping on weighted vests to push back. Doctors say the vests can help, but only with the right consistency.
What happens to bones during perimenopause and menopause?
Estrogen decline during perimenopause accelerates bone loss, and the drop-off can be steep. According to the Endocrine Society, up to 20% of bone loss can happen during these stages, and approximately one in 10 women over the age of 60 are affected by osteoporosis worldwide.
Menopause typically begins in a woman’s late 40s or early 50s and lasts about seven years, according to PennState Health. “Estrogen helps you build bones,” said Dr. Raliat Bashua, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center. “When your estrogen levels start fluctuating, you don’t maintain as much bone mass.” One in two postmenopausal women will have osteoporosis, the Endocrine Society added, and fractures are linked to decreased quality of life and increased mortality.
How does a weighted vest support bone health during menopause?
Weighted vests add resistance to everyday movement, stimulating bones to grow denser and helping women build the muscle that midlife tends to strip away. “Adding a weighted vest to functional activities and exercise is a great way to stimulate your bones to grow stronger and denser, as well as increase resistance to functional movement patterns and improve overall muscle strength,” Lauren Geisbert, D.P.T., told Eating Well.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OBGYN and author of The New York Times bestseller The New Menopause, has helped popularize the vests with her more than 2 million Instagram and TikTok followers. She told Fortune she owns six vests and wears one about an hour a day during Zoom calls, treadmill walks and household chores. “This is a gift to your future self to help keep your bones and muscles strong and even make them stronger, so that you’re more resilient to the effects of aging,” Haver said.
How long should you wear a weighted vest each day?
Start slow as to not overwork your body. “Start by using a weighted vest one to two times per week on familiar walks to allow your body to adapt without overloading your muscles or joints,” Sarah Pelc Graca, CPT, a personal trainer and founder of Strong with Sarah Weight Loss Coaching, told Women’s Health.
Wearing it for hours at a stretch can backfire. “Prolonged use (several hours) can lead to joint strain, muscle fatigue and posture issues if the weight is too heavy or worn for too long, so it’s important to gradually introduce weight and duration to avoid overloading your body,” Pelc Graca said. Whatever routine you choose, stick with it. “You can’t just wear a weighted vest for a few months and then stop, because you’ll quickly lose that new bone,” Caroline K. Messer, MD, a double board-certified internist and endocrinologist in New York City, told Allure. “You have to pick something that’s actually realistic for your lifestyle.”
Why are weighted vests trending among women over 40?
The vests have taken off partly because doctors like Haver are urging patients to defend muscle and bone before serious loss sets in, and partly because attitudes toward midlife women’s health are shifting. “The muscle is something that the aging process chips away at, but it’s not inevitable,” Haver told Fortune, adding that “you have to work at it.”
The trend has critics too. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a historian, professor at The New School and author of Fit Nation, told 19th News that the pressure cuts both ways. “It feels a little bit like this Army of Women who are never allowed to stop working on their fitness, even when they’re going about their day,” she said. “The idea or the reality that we women who are already carrying so much are now carrying an extra burden to do all of that can sometimes feel, well, a little much.”
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