The Science of Rucking: Why Carrying Weight Outside Transforms Body and Mind
Introduction: Simple, Yet Profound
Rucking is as simple as putting weight in a backpack and walking. But the effects on your body, mind, and spirit are profound. At Official Project Grit, rucking isn’t just exercise- it’s a tool for resilience, community, and mental clarity.
Modern science now confirms what humans have known for centuries: carrying weight outdoors is one of the most natural and beneficial ways to train both body and mind.
Weighted Walking: Strength and Endurance Together
Walking with added weight increases calorie burn by 2–3x compared to normal walking. Research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that rucking improves both aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, making it a hybrid workout that builds strength and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously.
Every step under load strengthens the legs, core, and back. Rucking recruits the whole body to stabilize and carry the load forward. That’s why it has been a cornerstone of military training for centuries-because it works.
Sunrise and Circadian Rhythm: Nature’s Reset Button
One of our favorite gatherings at Official Project Grit is the Saturday morning Rise & Ruck. We step off at 6 a.m. in the dark, and by halfway through, we’re walking into the sunrise.
That sunrise light isn’t just beautiful — it’s powerful. Studies published in Sleep Health and Frontiers in Physiology show that early morning sunlight exposure helps reset the circadian rhythm, improving sleep quality, regulating hormones, and boosting mood throughout the day.
When you ruck into the sunrise, you’re not just training your body. You’re syncing your internal clock with nature’s design.
The Health Benefits of Community
Science is clear: strong social connections are as important to long-term health as maintaining a healthy weight or not smoking. A landmark meta-analysis published in PLoS Medicine found that people with solid social relationships have a 50% increased likelihood of survival compared to those who are isolated.
Community rucking delivers those benefits in real time. Shared miles break down barriers. Struggling together creates trust. Encouraging one another fuels resilience. It’s fitness that doubles as fellowship, and the health effects reach far beyond the physical.
The Power of Silence
At Official Project Grit, we also teach the value of rucking in silence.
Sometimes you don't have your homies around or you just need some quiet. If you ruck alone, try making at least part of your miles just you and your thoughts. The science backs it: research in Frontiers in Psychology shows that silence reduces stress, enhances focus, and can even stimulate brain growth in regions linked to memory and emotion.
In a world full of noise and distraction, a silent ruck becomes moving meditation. Your breath and your footsteps become the rhythm. And in that rhythm, you find clarity.
More Than Just Exercise
Rucking isn’t here to replace the gym. Strength training, running, cycling, and other forms of exercise all have their place in a healthy lifestyle. What makes rucking unique is how it complements those practices:
It adds real-world load-bearing movement.
It gets you outdoors under natural light.
It's an equalizer. My weight may be heavier than yours but we can still ruck side by side.
It builds both endurance and strength at once.
It provides a path to both solitude and community.
Think of it as the missing piece in a well-rounded fitness life-a practice that trains not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.
What We’ve Seen at Official Project Grit
After every one of our events, we watch people change:
They get stronger physically.
They find mental clarity in the miles.
They find both peace and challenge outdoors.
They face themselves, hit their wall, and push through it.
They discover they are capable of more than they ever thought possible.
They find adventure
They return stronger, not just for themselves, but for the people around them.
This isn’t hype-it’s human. Rucking works because it’s what humans were designed to do.
Your Invitation
If you want to build resilience, and connect with others on a deeper level, start with something simple: put some weight in a pack and ruck.
Join us at an Official Project Grit event, or step out on your own. Try the sunrise. Try the silence. Try the community.
The science is clear-and so is the truth we’ve seen on the road: rucking transforms more than your body. It transforms your your mind and spirit too.
📚 References
Rucking & Load Carriage Physiology
Faghy, M. A., Prewett, A. C., Smith, A., Smith, R., & Brown, P. I. (2022). Physiological impact of load carriage exercise: Current understanding and future research directions. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(12), 2579–2597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05032-0
Mountain Tactical Institute. (2018). Ruck Deep Dive Study #2: Best Ways to Improve Rucking Performance. MTN Tactical. Retrieved from https://mtntactical.com/research/ruck-deep-dive-study-2-best-ways-to-improve-rucking/
Healthline Editorial Team. (2020). Rucking: A Low-Impact, High Cardio Exercise Option. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/rucking
Light, Circadian Rhythm & Mood
Blume, C., Garbazza, C., & Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie, 23, 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
Burns, A. C., Phillips, A. J. K., Abel, L. A., & Wright, K. P. (2021). Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 500,000 UK Biobank participants. Sleep Health, 7(3), 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxh.2021.03.001
Yoon, I.-Y., Jeong, J., & Kim, S. J. (2023). Effect of bright morning light therapy on sleep, mood, and cognitive performance: A randomized controlled trial. Medicina, 59(6), 1066. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59061066
Community & Social Connection
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
Silence & Mental Health
Ben-Soussan, T. D., Marson, A., Piervincenzi, G., Glicksohn, J., De Fano, A., Amenduni, F., Quattrocchi, G., & Carducci, F. (2020). Correlates of Silence: Enhanced Microstructural Changes Following Six Weeks of Silence-Related Practice and Self-Reported Experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 548. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00548
Pfeifer, E., & Wittmann, M. (2020). Waiting, Thinking, and Feeling: Variations in the Perception of Time During Silence. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 602. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00602
