How Weighted Vests Are Redefining ‘Casual Exercise’

If you’ve been to the park lately and thought you accidentally wandered into a SWAT team training exercise — don’t worry. You’re just witnessing the latest fitness obsession: weighted vests.

That’s right. Regular cardio is out. Cardio… but make it heavier is in.

The global market for adult weighted vests hit a hefty $186 million in 2023, and if the experts are right, it’s on pace to nearly double by 2030. At this rate, in a few years your neighborhood walk could look like a scene from Call of Duty: Suburban Warfare.

But this isn’t just a fitness trend — it’s part of a bigger movement where military-grade gear keeps sneaking into everyday life. First it was tactical backpacks. Then combat boots. Now, it’s weighted vests. If your closet doesn’t look like you’re preparing for a low-key extraction mission, are you even keeping up?

And leading the charge? Companies like Omorpho are making weighted vests sleek, stylish, and dangerously close to making you think you’re starring in your own Marvel spinoff. Their G-Vest looks like tactical gear, but it’s actually designed for regular humans trying to turn a walk, run, or even a trip to Trader Joe’s into a full-body workout.