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Humans have been carrying heavy things on their backs since the dawn of time. Giant water jugs, antelopes, big backpacks with cast iron plates...if we were built to carry heavy things, why can rucking be so uncomfortable sometimes? Whether you’re training with a ruck, walking with a weighted vest, or just hiking with a day pack, good rucking posture is what makes the miles feel sustainable instead of painful. 

Poor posture.

Most of us have been to an event where the participant next to us has been plodding along, feet splayed outward, their gut paunched, shoulders rounded, and their neck jutting forward like their head might roll off at any minute. We've all felt sorry for that guy because dang, that looks like it hurts.

Posture is at the core of human movement. Good posture is important to have in our everyday lives to breathe better, keep your body in alignment, prevent fatigue, help you have fewer headaches and basically looker hotter. Without proper rucking posture, our bodies collapse inwardly, weakening our core and muscular stability, and we make ourselves more prone to injury, aches, and pains. An imbalanced spine is an easy thing to get these days, with phones giving us "text neck" and frequent or extended sitting tightening our hip flexors, which doesn't do our spines, hips, and butts any favors. 

So how do we ruck with better posture?

1. Begin with making sure your ruck fits properly. It should fit snugly to your core with the heaviest objects (like your plate) closest to your spine, and make sure the ruck itself is properly and tightly packed.
   
   
2. Did you know your head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds? And did you know that bad posture can put up to 60 pounds of extra pressure on your neck? OUCH. As you begin to walk, make sure your eyes are looking comfortably at the road ahead and not the ground. Maintain this posture for the duration of your ruck. Your ears should be set over your shoulders, head held high.  You may feel at first like you're giving yourself a double chin but guess what? That's good posture.
   
   
3. The weight of your ruck changes your center of gravity. Lean forward a little to accommodate for the added weight. Always bend slightly at the hips, never the waist. Think more Yoda riding on your back and less Atlas carrying the world.
   
   
4. Consider your core. Tighten your core muscles as you walk, standing tall and help gird your spine. You shouldn't have to work too hard at this, but instead, keep a focus on feeling your muscles engaging as you walk. Breathe normally. Your spine should never be curved inward or outward, but instead, have a neutral position against the back of your ruck.
   
   
5. Your arms should swing gently, with a soft bend at your elbow. Wearing a ruck can force good posture across your chest and upper back, so use that to stay mindful of your arms swinging but never crossing across the front of your body. Your arms are a counterbalance to your leg movement, so get those thumbs out of your straps.
   
   
6. Be careful not to swagger. Don’t let your form unravel when you’re tired - that’s when posture matters most. Long distances can and often do degrade postural control (fancy for standing up straight as you walk) and swaying your hips or sticking your butt out or tucking it in as you walk throws your pelvis out of alignment, tightens up your lower back, and can eventually make each step torturous and also cause you to roll your feet differently, leading to new blisters.
   
   
7. Instead of that tempting swagger, walk with your knees and toes pointed forward, rolling your foot from heel to toe. Engage your hip flexors and glutes to give your stride power and fluid motion. Stay aware of this effort throughout your event. It might even be helpful to designate a 'posture buddy' teammate and have them remind you when your posture gets sloppy.

Keep these tips in mind for your daily life, and they'll be there to help you when the miles start adding up. It's always tempting to let your form slip as you tire, but by engaging your core and keeping your body and spine in alignment, you are ensuring your body stays injury-free and that it will be ready to go when you are.

Good Posture with a Walking Vest

A vest doesn’t sit on your shoulders like a ruck. It wraps your torso, which feels different (and sometimes a little awkward) until you get used to it. The weight is closer to your center of gravity, which is good news for balance, but it can still throw you off if you let it. Weighted vests are now an option in PATHFINDER Life.

• Stand tall. Don’t puff your chest out like you’re in a superhero movie. Keep your ribs down, core on, and spine neutral so the weight rides where it should.

• Relax your shoulders. A lot of people hike their traps up with a vest without realizing it. Drop them down and back. Let the vest sit.

• Walk the way you normally walk. Don’t shorten your stride or walk stiffly. The whole point is to load the movement patterns you already use every day.

• Breathe deep. A vest can make your chest feel wrapped up, and some people may start breathing shallowly. Practice belly breathing so you don’t sound like you just sprinted up three flights of stairs.

Ultimately, it's the same bottom line as rucking: posture is for being efficiency. A vest should feel like a simple upgrade to your walk, not like you’re dragging yourself through it.

Check out PATHFINDER's program options:

Building consistency? PATHFINDER Life

Ready for a clear path to build endurance? PATHFINDER Forward

Need a faster pace and more weekly volume? PATHFINDER Endure

Training for demanding 24-hour+ event? PATHFINDER Advanced

Training for a marathon-50 miler? PATHFINDER Horizon

Training for mountain backpacking? PATHFINDER Stirling

Looking for personalized training for your unique goals? PATHFINDER XP

Need help with your fueling or some weight loss to hit your goals? PATHFINDER Personalized Nutrition Coaching

This post was written by Amy Petersen, PATHFINDER Ruck Training's Director of Programming, an ACE-CPT, PN-1 and PN-SSR.