Yes, wearing a weighted vest can help increase bone density. “Wearing a weighted vest while exercising increases bone formation and decreases bone resorption,” explains Dr. Korsh Jafarnia, chief of Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Houston Methodist West Hospital. “When the skeletal system is loaded or stressed, this stimulates bone forming cells. Conversely, when mechanical loads are decreased, more bone resorption occurs.”
Numerous studies have confirmed that wearing a weighted vest is beneficial for bone density. In a 2007 study on postmenopausal women, researchers found that as little as 12 weeks of exercise training with an weighted vest helped reduce bone loss. Another study, conducted in 2015, had postmenopausal women with osteopenia—a loss of bone density—complete a six-month exercise program that included the use of weighted vests. The study found that there was a significant increase in bone-mineral density among the women who followed the program.
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