“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”
—Leonardo da Vinci
Our bodies are exquisitely designed not only for walking but also for carrying the people and things that matter most. Throughout human history, carrying has been essential to survival. Parents carried their children. Families carried food, water, and supplies across fields, forests, and mountains. Long before weighted vests and rucking became popular, carrying wasn’t exercise. It was simply part of life.
Like many parents, I carried my son almost everywhere. At first he nestled close against my chest in a soft carrier where he could hear my heartbeat and experience the world from the safety of my arms. As he grew, he graduated to a backpack carrier, and together we explored the rainforests of Costa Rica, hiked the rugged trails of Hawaii, and even climbed the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily.
I wasn’t just improving my fitness. I was sharing magical adventures with my son that were strengthening us both. With every step, the load increased naturally, challenging my core, muscles, bones, balance, posture, and cardiovascular system in a way that never felt like exercise. It felt purposeful because it was. Those experiences became one of the most natural forms of functional strength training imaginable while creating memories I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Today, this same concept has re-emerged through rucking and weighted vests. Both increase the challenge of walking and have been associated with improvements in strength, endurance, bone health, and overall functional fitness. Interestingly, there is surprisingly little research directly comparing weighted vests with well-fitted backpacks.
Weighted vests keep the load close to the body’s center of mass and encourage a more upright posture, while backpacks, especially those with supportive hip belts, have allowed hikers, military personnel, and parents to carry loads comfortably for generations. At present, there is no convincing evidence that one approach is universally superior. The greatest benefits come from carrying an appropriate load with good posture and progressing gradually to empower your core.
Perhaps the true art of carrying isn’t simply learning how to bear more weight. It’s learning to carry the people, experiences, and responsibilities that give our lives meaning. In doing so, we may discover that the strongest bodies are often built alongside the richest memories.