Rucking: the military exercise which has become a trend on TikTok in time for summer

It basically means walking with additional weight loaded on, to make things tougher. You could load up a rucksack or carrier with specially designed ‘ruck plates’, or opt for a weighted vest if preferred.

There’s been growing buzz around it online, and chances are you’ll be spotting it a lot more this summer.

But while rucking might be trending it’s not new, and has long been been part of military training.

“We used to refer to this in the Royal Marines as ‘yomping’,” says Tommy Kelly, former Royal Marine commando and co-founder of outdoor and mountain clothing brand, Jöttnar.

“It was a means of carrying heavy kit, sometimes up to 120lbs, over large distances and through arduous terrain. It was painful – my shoulders, knees and back still hurt when I think of it!”

You don’t have to buy a dedicated rucking bag or carrier and plates to try it. However, “fit is important, as backs come in all different shapes and sizes. An ill-fitting rucksack, especially one with a heavy weight, will place undue strain on the back and neck, likely leading to pain and injury,” says Kelly. “If possible, try out various options in a shop, judging for fit and comfort.”

What are the fitness benefits?

“You can be outside enjoying nature, while completing a higher intensity walk and improving your aerobic capacity or Vo2 max [the max amount of oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise, often used as a measure for cardiorespiratory fitness],” says Olivia Tyler, national fitness assurance lead at Nuffield Health – who have just launched their #MyDailyMovement campaign, sharing a wealth of content and expert advice on new ways to get active on their website.

Tyler says it can help improve balance too – and, of course, it’s a strength workout. “Rucking helps encourage better posture, as you are carrying weights on your back and need to engage your core and back muscles,” she adds.

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Kelly agrees there are benefits to both “muscular and skeletal” strength, adding of the cardiovascular benefits: “The heart and lungs are required to work far harder than normal unburdened walking.

"Do this regularly and aerobic fitness will markedly improve.”

Any other advice for newbies?

Rucking might sound relatively straightforward, but you don’t want to go too heavy, too fast. “Begin with a light load and shorter distances, and take it steady to begin with,” says Kelly.

“As strength and fitness improve, weight, distance and speed can all be incrementally increased.”