• Rucking combines walking with a weighted backpack to create a low-impact, high-calorie-burning Zone 2 cardio workout ideal for weight loss and metabolic health in men over 40.
• Scientific research shows rucking burns 2-3 times more calories than regular walking while maintaining the joint-friendly benefits, making it perfect for busy professionals seeking efficient fitness solutions.
• Corporate rucking challenges, like the one I recently experienced at EF Education First in Zurich, demonstrate how this military-inspired exercise can build team cohesion while delivering substantial fitness benefits in just a few hours.

When I joined EF Education First last month, I didn’t expect my onboarding to include strapping a 12.6kg (27.8lb) backpack to my shoulders and trekking 17km (10.6 miles) across Zurich with three fantastic colleagues of the Marketing team. But that’s exactly what happened—and it might be the best team-building exercise I’ve ever experienced.

More importantly, it introduced me to rucking—a fitness modality that’s perfectly aligned with what we advocate for at FitnessForties: practical, efficient exercise that delivers maximum results for busy professionals in their 40s.

What Is Rucking and Why It’s Perfect for Men Over 40

Rucking is simply walking with weight on your back. This military-inspired training method transforms an ordinary walk into a full-body, calorie-torching workout that builds strength and endurance simultaneously—without the joint impact of running or the time commitment of traditional gym workouts.

For men in their 40s juggling careers, family responsibilities, and declining natural testosterone levels, rucking offers a rare trifecta of benefits:

1. Efficient calorie burning: Research shows rucking burns 2-3 times more calories than walking at the same pace. A 185-pound (84kg) man walking at a moderate pace burns about 400 calories per hour. Add a 20-pound (9kg) pack, and that jumps to 600-700 calories.
2. Zone 2 cardio benefits: Rucking naturally keeps your heart rate in the coveted “Zone 2” range (60-70% of max heart rate)—the intensity proven to maximize fat oxidation while building mitochondrial density and cardiovascular health.
3. Joint-friendly strength building: Unlike running, which can stress aging joints, rucking strengthens your posterior chain, core, and legs without excessive impact. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that loaded carries like rucking significantly improve functional strength in ways that isolated gym exercises cannot.

The Science of Zone 2 Training and Why Rucking Excels

Zone 2 training has gained significant attention in longevity and fitness research. This moderate-intensity exercise zone—where you can still maintain a conversation—optimizes fat burning while building aerobic capacity.

A 2021 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that Zone 2 training improves mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity more effectively than high-intensity interval training alone. For men over 40 concerned with metabolic health and sustainable fat loss, this is crucial information.

Rucking naturally keeps most people in Zone 2 because:

• The added weight elevates heart rate without requiring faster movement
• The steady pace allows for fat oxidation optimization
• The duration can be easily extended without excessive fatigue or recovery needs

Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, notes that “Zone 2 cardio is the foundation of metabolic health and should comprise the majority of one’s cardiovascular training, especially as we age.”

My EF Education First Rucking Challenge: From Skeptic to Convert

When I received the invitation to participate in “Rucking Fabulous 2025” at EF’s Zurich office, I was intrigued but skeptical. The event documentation described a team-based scavenger hunt where we’d carry weighted backpacks for up to four hours, covering approximately 20km while completing challenges for points.

As a new joiner trying to make a good impression, I couldn’t exactly decline 😅 . But as someone committed to fitness, I was curious about the physical challenge.

On the afternoon of the event, I teamed up with three kind colleagues from the Marketing team who invited me to form “Team Ruck Yeah!“. We weighed our packs; mine started at 12.6 kg (27.8 lbs), but I shared two small dumbbells with a teammate at a few stations, ultimately reducing my weight to 10.6 kg (23.4 lbs). After calculating our team’s average weight (which counted for the competition), we received instructions for the Eventzee app, which provided us with our waypoints and challenges.

What followed was four hours of:

• Strategic route planning to maximize points
• Team problem-solving at various waypoints
• Discovering Zurich’s hidden gems while carrying significant weight
• Building genuine connections with colleagues through shared challenge

We covered 17km (10.6 miles) without completing the full itinerary, earning our “Rucking Fabulous” patches and, more importantly, a sense of camaraderie that would have taken months to develop in normal office interactions.

The Corporate Culture Angle: Why Companies Like EF Invest in Rucking

What struck me most about this experience wasn’t just the physical benefits, but how effectively it built team cohesion. EF’s CEO Eddie Hult clearly understands something many executives miss: physical challenges create bonds that conference room activities simply cannot.

Research from the Harvard Business Review supports this, noting that shared physical challenges create “swift trust” among team members—a particularly valuable outcome when onboarding new executives or integrating cross-functional teams.

The investment in a half-day activity paid dividends in:

• Cross-departmental relationship building
• Problem-solving under pressure
• Physical and mental resilience development
• Company culture reinforcement

For busy professionals, this dual-purpose approach—getting fitness benefits while building professional relationships—represents the kind of efficiency we champion at FitnessForties.

How to Start Rucking: A Practical Guide for Busy Professionals

Ready to try rucking? Here’s how to start safely and effectively:

1. Start light: Begin with 10% of your bodyweight. For a 180-pound (82kg) man, that’s about 18 pounds (8kg).
2. Use proper equipment: While any backpack works initially, consider a dedicated rucking pack with proper weight distribution for regular practice. GORUCK and 5.11 make excellent options.
3. Focus on posture: Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged. The weight should rest on your shoulders and upper back, not pulling on your lower back.
4. Progress gradually: Add no more than 5 pounds (2.3kg) per week, and increase distance by no more than 10% weekly.
5. Incorporate into daily life: Ruck to work, during lunch breaks, or while running errands to maximize efficiency.
6. Track your metrics: Monitor calories burned, distance, and heart rate to see your progress. Most fitness watches can track weighted walks effectively.

The Bottom Line: Why Every Man Over 40 Should Consider Rucking

As men in our 40s, we need exercise that delivers maximum benefits with minimum time investment and joint stress. Rucking checks all these boxes while offering the flexibility to integrate into almost any lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking to shed stubborn belly fat, improve cardiovascular health, build functional strength, or simply find a sustainable fitness practice that doesn’t require a gym membership, rucking deserves serious consideration.

And if you can convince your workplace to organize a team rucking challenge like EF did, you’ll gain the added benefit of strengthening professional relationships while improving your health—the ultimate efficiency for busy professionals.

My unexpected introduction to rucking through a corporate team-building exercise has become a regular part of my fitness routine. Three times weekly, I strap on my weighted pack for my morning commute or weekend explorations of Zurich. The dual benefits of Zone 2 cardio and functional strength training in one time-efficient package make it the perfect addition to my busy schedule.

For men over 40 seeking practical fitness solutions that deliver real results, rucking might just be the missing piece in your health puzzle.

References:

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3. Kressler, J., Millard-Stafford, M., & Warren, G. L. (2011). Quercetin and endurance exercise capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(12), 2396-2404.
4. McGill, S. M., McDermott, A., & Fenwick, C. M. (2009). Comparison of different strongman events: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(4), 1148-1161.
5. San-Millán, I., & Brooks, G. A. (2018). Assessment of metabolic flexibility by means of measuring blood lactate, fat, and carbohydrate oxidation responses to exercise in professional endurance athletes and less-fit individuals. Sports Medicine, 48(2), 467-479.