RUCKING! The Simple Fitness Habit with Big Results

Rucking

YO!

A little more wisdom from my new favorite book, The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.

Today we will focus on the what, the how, and the why of RUCKING!

What is Rucking?

Rucking is simply moving with a load or weight on your back. Most people will associate rucking with the military, and it’s true that since the Roman Empire, soldiers have been going into battle with anywhere from 30 to 125 pounds of military supplies strapped to their backs. Rucking has occurred since the beginning of time and is part of our human evolution. We humans are designed to ruck. We are designed to walk upright, long distances, carrying things on our backs.

How do you Ruck?

Please don’t think about it. Rucking is simply walking with any “load” on your back. This load typically ranges from 10% to 40% of your body weight. The load can be carried in a standard school book bag for lighter, shorter carries for beginners. For heavier carriers, there are companies that specialize in making “rucksacks” for larger loads. Goruck.com is the leader in this space. YouTuber JB Outside is one of my favorite sources for learning how to ruck. This video is a great introduction on how to start rucking for free with things you have lying around your house.

Last and most importantly…Why would I Ruck?

There are many, many benefits to rucking. I’ll highlight a few here and share a few resources for you if you want to take a deeper dive.

Rucking burns three times the calories of walking, so it’s a much more efficient way of exercising. That alone is enough to get most of us started! Today, I rucked three miles in 60 minutes with a 65-pound load and burned 700 calories. That’s a 20-minute mile. Easy!
Rucking is both a cardio movement and a strength training movement. Says Jason McCarthy, the founder of goruck.com, “Rucking is strength and cardio in one. It’s cardio for the person that hates running and strength work for the person that hates lifting.”
Rucking builds significantly more muscle than walking, by focusing on the body’s “tactical chassis” which is everything between the shoulders and knees including: hamstrings, quads, hips, abs, obliques, and back.
Rucking is significantly safer than running for our bodies. Recent studies on the knees found that running places a force on the knee about 8 times one’s body weight. Walking places a 2.7x force on the knees. The average-sized person with a 30-pound rucksack places a 3.0x force on the knees.
Rucking is another reason to get outside and be one with nature. I really don’t think this can be overstated. Attached is a picture I took during my 60-minute ruck walk this morning on the Ontario County Pathway. (Yes, my phone was on do not disturb, and I was allowing thoughts to flow in and out of my head.)
Rucking can be social and is “scalable” with others. Kara and I routinely go on “rucks” together, she with a 20-pound load and I with a 50-60-pound load. We both get great workouts, work hard, are outside with the dogs, and can spend time with each other.

If you are interested in learning more, here is another great resource. Reach out if you have any questions!