One of my first actions after finding out my bone density was a low, was to purchase a new weighted vest. Even if I gain a few pounds, there's no way I can put enough on to truly be heavier on this Earth. So I went onto Amazon and got a 20 pound weight vest to start using on hikes and walks.
Luckily, I was smart enough not use the full weight on the first round. I took 4 pounds out and hit the dish with my oh-so-goofy-looking new equipment.
Here I am at the beginning of my trek. This trail has about 22 floors of climbing over 3.3 miles. I used to run it with my husband, but have really fallen off the wagon with my runs as of late. So we went together, and he did circles around me (accumulating 6 miles), while I listened to some podcasts and hoofed my way through.
Uphills were definitely harder, but downhill is where I really felt the impact. The extra weight really forced me to pound the floor heavier with each heel strike. It made me realize why heavier people truly do not have as many issues with bone strength: they have added impact to every move!
The only thing I need to modify is to add some padding to those shoulder straps, because after 63 minutes, that puppy was digging into my shoulders something nasty! Putting my ego aside, this is going to be my new look when hiking around.