The Science-Backed Benefits of Getting Outside (and Walking with Weight)

The Science-Backed Benefits of Getting Outside (and Walking with Weight)

The Science-Backed Benefits of Getting Outside (and Walking with Weight)

When life gets loud, nature is the original “reset button.” The science-backed benefits of getting outside go far beyond fresh air—research shows that simply being outdoors in green space can calm your nervous system, sharpen your mind, and even shift your biology in measurable ways.

Studies link time in nature with better mood, lower rates of depression and anxiety, improved attention, and healthier blood pressure and heart-rate patterns. Forest-based “green time” has also been shown to reduce stress hormones like cortisol and support immune function.

Layer on walking with weight (aka rucking, especially with a weighted vest like The Carry Vest), and you turn a simple walk outside into one of the most efficient, science-backed habits you can build.

How Nature Resets Your Brain and Body

Regular time outside is consistently associated with:

  • Better overall health and wellbeing: People who spend at least 120 minutes per week in nature report higher levels of health and life satisfaction than those who get little to no nature time.
  • Reduced stress markers: Just 20–30 minutes in a natural setting can significantly reduce salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase, two key biomarkers of stress.
  • Mental health support: Reviews from the American Psychological Association highlight that time in nature is linked to lower anxiety and depression, better mood, and improved attention and working memory.

You don’t need a national park pass to get these benefits. Neighborhood loops, local trails, waterfront paths, or even green pockets in the city all count.

How Much Time Outside Do You Really Need?

To make the benefits of getting outside part of your life (not just a vacation thing), aim for:

  • 120+ minutes of nature time per week: This can be broken up however works for you—six 20-minute walks, three 40-minute walks, or a mix of shorter weekday sessions and a longer weekend outing.
  • 20–30 minutes outside per day (most days): Research on “nature pills” suggests that 20–30 minutes in a green space is a realistic dose for lowering stress in everyday life.

Think of it as a standing meeting with yourself: you + fresh air + movement.

Why Walking with Weight Supercharges Your Time Outside

Walking is already a powerful, low-impact tool for cardiovascular health and mental clarity. Walking with weight—especially using a weighted vest—adds a layer of gentle resistance that supports strength, muscle, and bone health over time.

We build the majority of our bone density in our teens and 20s. By our late 20s to around age 30, most women have reached peak bone density—the highest our bones will be in terms of strength and mineral content. After that, bone breakdown gradually starts to outpace bone building, which is why what you do in your 20s, 30s, and 40s matters so much.

That’s where walking with weight and strength training come in: you’re banking bone in your 20s and early 30s, and maintaining and defending it through your mid-30s, 40s, and beyond.

When you walk with weight outside, you:

  • Increase intensity without increasing impact: Extra load gently nudges up your heart rate, oxygen use, and calorie burn—while staying friendly on your joints.
  • Give your bones a useful signal: The added weight acts as low-impact, weight-bearing stimulus. Think of it as telling your bones: “Hey, stay strong—we still need you.”
  • Build posture, balance, and functional strength: A well-designed weighted vest distributes load evenly around your torso—front and back—so your spine stays more neutral and your core and upper back do the work. That’s very different from a rucksack or backpack, which tends to pull on your shoulders and neck and load you unevenly.

Because your hands stay free and your weight is balanced, walking with a weighted vest feels more natural and sustainable than lugging a heavy bag.

In other words: rucking (walking with weight) stacks nature + cardio + strength + bone loading into one simple, repeatable habit—accessible to every woman, whether you’re building your base in your 20s or protecting your strength in your 30s and 40s.

A Simple Weekly Ritual to Try

To put this into practice, try a structure like:

  • 3 days/week: 20–30 minute outdoor walks with a light weighted vest (start with ~5–10% of your body weight and build slowly).
  • 1 day/week: A slightly longer weekend ruck or hike outside (45–60+ minutes), keeping the weight comfortable and conversational.

On other days, unweighted walks or strength workouts still “count” toward your overall movement and nature time. The goal is consistency, not perfection.

Meet The Carry Vest: Your New-Year, Year-Round Companion

If you’re ready to turn the science-backed benefits of getting outside and walking with weight into a year-round ritual, The Carry Vest was built to be your companion:

  • Designed for women’s bodies: bust-friendly shaping, padded shoulders, and an ergonomic cropped silhouette
  • Modular and adjustable up to 20 lbs: half-pound weights let you progress gradually as you get stronger.
  • Washable and non-toxic: made for real sweat, real weather, and real life.
  • Minimal, elevated design: a vest you actually want to wear with your favorite layers.

Preorder The Carry Vest and make getting outside—and walking weighted—your simplest, most powerful commitment to aging powerfully as you step into the new year.

Sources