5 Reasons Why Rucking is the Ultimate Time-Saver for Your Fitness Routine

It’s 6AM, you’re dragging yourself out of bed, ready to face another gym session all in the name of health. You know the rigmarole, blood, sweat, tears and counting down the seconds before you sprint for the shower and race towards the rest of your responsibilities. But what if there was a way to get the same health benefits with less dread, less strain, and a lot more enjoyment?

Enter rucking. Rucking teams the simplicity of walking with the benefits of weight training, helping you achieve impressive results without sacrificing your blood and tears (there will, unfortunately, still be sweat… lots of it!). Wonder if you should give it a shot?

We’ve got 5 reasons why rucking could step you towards a better, healthier you.

1. It’s Efficient and Effective

Rucking is all about making every step count. Instead of spending hours on traditional workouts, this exercise delivers impressive results in a fraction of the time. “By adding weight to a simple walk, you get a high-intensity workout without the extended gym sessions,” says Chelsea Clifford, a Women’s Health Fitness Specialist. Whether you’re walking to work, walking the dog, or pottering the house doing chores, adding a rucksack means you can do all the above, with the added bonus of strength training.

2. You Can Start Where You Are and Grow as You Go.

Being a professional CrossFitter performing hundreds of chin-ups wearing a 40 kg rucksack is definitely not the requirement for rucking. “Begin with a manageable load and gradually increase it as your strength improves. It’s a safe and effective way to build your strength and cardio without risking injury” says Chelsea. When starting out, it’s important to avoid going too heavy too soon. Aussie brand, RUKSAK, offers a unique incremental weight system, allowing you to increase the load by just 1 kg at a time. This gradual adjustment helps ensure a safer, more manageable progression in your rucking routine.

3. It Gets You in The Zone

Zone 2 Cardio, that is. Rucking is a great way to engage in Zone 2 cardio, which involves exercising at a pace where you can still hold a conversation comfortably, typically sitting at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. “This level of cardio is ideal for building aerobic capacity and burning fat,” explains Clifford.

4. It’s Low-Impact with High Rewards

Rucking provides a full-body workout that’s gentle on your joints, making it a great choice for those who need to avoid high-impact, high-stress exercising. Chelsea highlights, “Its low-impact nature makes it perfect for women from postpartum to post-menopause because you’re able to get the benefits of strength training with the excess strain.” Clifford reminds women to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist for any extra support getting started along your rucking journey.

5. Great for Mental Health

Exercise is well-known for its positive effects on mental health, and rucking is no exception. Clifford notes, “The secret is in the rhythmic motion of walking with a weighted pack, combined with being in the fresh outdoors.”. Extra points if you call a couple of your friends and grab a coffee along the way!

After all, isn’t it time we embraced a refreshing change of pace where we can achieve strength training, cardio benefits, and mental clarity without the sweat-soaked slog of traditional gym sessions? With rucking, it seems this is a possibility, proving that sometimes, the most efficient way to get fit is by truly taking things one step at a time.