Want a military-inspired workout that’s cheap and easy? Try this
My backpack sloshed as I hiked up the hill. I was carrying a Cotopaxi bag with cross-body straps at the waist and chest, equipped with an additional 22lbs /10kgs of water contained in a plastic bladder – not the sort of load that would cause military personnel to break sweat, but this was my first time going for an organized ‘ruck’.
I reached the top of the hill, marked with a stone, and was greeted by some stunning views of the UK’s Lake District. I was at the peak of Orrest Head, a small and accessible hill near Windermere, but our group only stopped to admire the view for a few moments before we hiked on down the other side, determined to tackle bigger challenges before the end of the day.
I was ‘rucking’, on a mission to walk around five miles (approximately 10,000 steps, according to my Garmin watch) while carrying a backpack loaded with additional weight. It’s an ancient form of exercise that’s still in use by militaries around the world today, with soldiers building up their endurance by going on long marches carrying heavy backpacks as well as equipment such as weapons.
