Weighted vests – like ankle and wrist weights – are nothing new, but until relatively recently they were synonymous with professional athletes and CrossFitters. Now, they’re finding their way into the fitness routines of ‘normal’ gym-goers, racking up 43.4 million views on TikTok along the way, and celebrities such as Gemma Atkinson and Davina McCall are fans.

The vests come in a range of sizes and weights, ranging from 3kg to 30kg+, and while specialist brands like Bulldog, Gravity or Stronger may set you back £100, you can find a variety of entry-level, affordable styles around the £20-£35 price point from retailers including Argos, Decathlon and Wilko.

Caitlin Miles, physiotherapist at Six Physio, explains that weighted vests work by adding load to your body to make it stronger. “Overloading is one of the fundamental principles of training,” she tells Strong Women. “It’s the concept of pushing the body beyond a threshold so that its capacity to perform improves.”

“I wore a weighted vest every day for 2 weeks – here’s how it improved my posture and core strength”