Amazon Whether you're trying to make your at-home workouts more intense or level up your training at the gym, one type of equipment that's bound to make a huge difference in your overall fitness is a weighted vest. And according to fitness and wellness coach Heather Wilson-Phillips, the benefits of using a weighted vest are "endless." "It really helps to develop your overall strength, build muscle [and] endurance, and definitely helps to increase your cardiovascular level," she tells Health. "With adding the extra weight during cardio, it will make your movements more challenging, [which] helps burn more calories and fat… I also love that it frees up your hands and you still get the advantage of the additional resistance."