Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 19th June 2017

Weighted clothing, as you might guess, are articles of clothing such as shorts, vests, pants, gloves, and more - designed to enhance your fitness routine. These versatile pieces of clothing come with a number of unexpected health benefits. They help users increase their metabolism, improve bone mass and muscle tone, as well as help users achieve a sense of calm.

Why You Should Wear It 

Adding weighted clothing to your fitness routine can add a layer of intensity you might not get from your normal workout. If you’re doing a lot of crossfit exercises or other body-weight activities, you’re not really able to carry around weights and still maintain the mobility needed to actually do the workout. Weighted clothing offers a snug fit, adding resistance, but allowing for a wide range of movement. Weighted clothing comes with a range of benefits from boosting metabolism to increasing muscle mass by adding extra resistance, as well as improving your air capacity and cardiovascular health.

Types of Weighted Clothing  

As you might imagine, you can find a range of weighted clothing articles designed to enhance a variety of workouts. Here’s a look at some of the more common pieces you may want to consider adding to your fitness routine. 

Weighted Vests: One of the most popular choices, a weighted vest fits snugly on the chest, and are a versatile piece of weight training equipment guaranteed to distribute weight evenly across the upper body, adding resistance safely. Weighted vests help build core strength, upper body strength and help runners achieve greater speeds. 

Ankle Weights: Another popular option, ankle weights are a great tool for runners looking to add lag to their workouts and build leg strength. Users should be careful to avoid using ankle weights for too long, as they can add some wear and tear to the joints. 

Weighted Belts: An alternative to a vest, weighted belts offer more mobility during resistance exercise and are perfect if you’re worried about overheating during a workout. What’s worth mentioning here, is a weighted belt needs to be properly fitted, as a too-large unit may slip around uncomfortably or slide over the hips. 

Weighted Shirts: This option is quite similar to a weighted vest, but offers some of the benefits of a compression shirt along with the added resistance, without any stress on the joints. Though ideal for a workout requiring maximum mobility, the weighted shirt may be challenging to put on. 

Weighted Gloves: Weighted gloves might not be for everyone looking to step up their fitness game, but they may come in handy for those practicing boxing or martial arts, as well as aerobic exercise. Adding weight to the hands can help increase arm strength without the need to hold a cumbersome barbell to achieve the desired results.

Additional Benefits of Weighted Clothing  

While the main reason people buy weighted pieces of clothing is to strengthen and sculpt muscles, certain pieces of clothing may also help build stronger bones and potentially lose weight more quickly. Weighted clothing, vests and shirts in particular, may have a soothing effect on some people with ADHD or autism, as the extra weight makes them feel calm, providing a sensation similar to receiving a hug.

We take a look at Fitness Resistance Gear such as Weighted Vests Fitness and Weighted Gym Jackets in this Guide to Wearing Weighted Clothing.