During lockdown, I started walking and training with Lucy over Zoom 6 days per week.

When Lucy took a break to have Bronte I lapsed a bit but I’m back in the swing of things. Instead of running, as I get fitter, we’ve taken up rucking! You might wonder what rucking is and put simply you wear a rucksack (backpack) with some weight, which can be anything from your daughter, see Lucy’s picture with Bronte or a rucksack with any kind of weight added and you walk.

Rucking has been used in the military for decades but research shows how it can help almost anyone become healthier. Studies find that combining rucking with resistance training (hybrid classes) can have outstanding results in as short a time frame as 10 weeks. They found that the participants that rucked significantly, increased strength in squats, push-ups and core strength. But one of the most interesting by-products was the improvement in mood, well-being and reduced perceived exertion, meaning the participants could push harder without it feeling as draining.

We recommend you give it a try…

It’s extremely simple, and requires minimal gear, or just one child, lol. The goal is to move more with some resistance, so put some weight on your back and go for a walk.

It gives you a great reason to get outside. In the UK less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week. The message is clear - we need to spend more time outside, moving around and less time inside on a phone or computer screen.

Rucking builds muscle and strength while improving cardio and endurance. Bringing both types of exercises together provides a fuller range of benefits to improve your health. You can burn up to 3x more calories than walking.

While rucking, you’ll burn a lot more calories than walking, not quite as many as running but about the same as jogging or doing functional fitness. It depends greatly on the amount of weight you’re carrying, of course. Go faster with more weight and it’ll be a lot greater challenge. That means more calories.

The ruck pulls your shoulders back, which is how they should be with proper posture, even without a rucksack on. It’s uncomfortable to roll your shoulders forward while rucking, like we all do to hunch over a keyboard or when we look down — so you don’t do that. Remember that if you’re carrying your child or a weight on the front of your body you’ll need to be aware of your posture and make adjustments for this…Speak with one of the Team to get some tips on how to best allow for this difference.

Don’t overthink it, this is easy. Get yourself a backpack add some weight and don't worry about which type of pack you use. There are ruck sacks made especially for rucking but the important part is that you get started, so grab any backpack you can find laying around.

Now that you have your bag, you need to add some weight. Grab a weight and wrap it in a towel for cushion, and put it in the bag. Anything will work as your weight - dumbbells, bricks, books, tins of beans you can even fill the bag with potting soil, just add weight. 

Start with 2.5 – 5kg and add more as you feel stronger.

Put your pack on and start walking. It's that easy. Start at a comfortable pace and keep an upright posture. Over time, you can increase the weight, speed, and distance. Start light and if your pack allows, keep the weight high and stable next to your back.

PACE GOALS: 15 minute/mile is a good goal in terms of your pace. If you're moving slower than 20 minute/mile, consider reducing the weight. Start with 1-2 rucks per week to get the hang of it, don’t be silly like I was and go for 7 days per week it’s counterproductive. If you're brand new, you'll probably have some muscle soreness especially in your shoulders, back and feet so make sure you’ve got yourself some good shoes.

Again, if you have any thing you’d like advice on please speak with Az, Debs, Lucy, Oxana or Sian.

We’d love to know if anyone decides to give a go!