What it’s for
- Load-carrying fitness and conditioning
Walking while carrying additional weight, usually in a pack or vest.
Purpose, evidence and practical considerations.
Load carriage increases the work of walking. Much research comes from military settings; it does not supply one safe load for everyone, and rapid progression can cause injury.
Confidence: moderate
Poor pack fit, excessive load, steep terrain and rapid progression can contribute to foot, knee, back and shoulder injury. Begin conservatively and account for heat, hydration, visibility and traffic or trail hazards.
Carrying load raises energy expenditure and musculoskeletal demand compared with unloaded walking. Training can improve load-carriage capacity, while excessive load or rapid progression raises overuse and acute injury risk.
Regulatory status: exercise practice
The evidence on this page does not automatically apply to:
How people use it, with their schedules, context and original sources.
60–90 min · an alternative on long-run day
Session and schedule patterns reported in public protocols; these are observations, not instructions. Private and hidden usage is excluded.
These share a protocol with this intervention. This does not establish that they work together or are suitable alternatives.