Take the load on

It might have originated in the military, but rucking is a versatile and accessible fitness trend. Here’s all you need to know

Whether you want to step up your strength training and cardio or simply gain some extra health benefits from your daily walk, rucking is an easy and low-cost way to give your fitness a boost. This form of exercise takes its name from its origins in military training, specifically ruck marching, or yomping, where soldiers hike long distances carrying heavy loads in rucksacks. Now, enthusiasts say that it can improve everything from core strength and posture to balance and muscle tone. And it need not feel like an army boot camp – many people simply add a weighted rucksack when walking to the shops, going for a hike with friends or even while doing household chores.

Built to carry

Historically, soldiers have always needed to transport weapons and equipment – from Civil War troops carrying their gear in bundles to the haversacks of World War One and Two. And evidence of people carrying heavy loads goes back much further – in 1991, the remains of Ötzi the Iceman, a Copper Age mummy, were discovered in the Ötztal Alps, near the Austria-Italy border. When he died, he’d been carrying an animal-skin pack, which held weapons and tools. Nowadays, most people don’t need to carry such items over long distances, but there are specialist companies providing kit to would-be ruckers.