If you feel you won't get your money's worth from a gym membership, you can strength-train at home without fancy equipment. But without access to weight machines, you have to find alternatives for increasing the weight you can lift. Ankle weights let you add weight to your foot and leg routines to increase your strength, but don't overdo it. If your leg isn't strong enough, even a small increase can cause injury.
Step 1
Add ankle weights to your exercise routine only when you are strong enough. If you are currently having trouble lifting your foot and lower leg, for example, adding weight will only make it harder and place more strain on the leg, just like lifting something that is simply too heavy to hold.
Step 2
Start adding weight gradually. Use an adjustable weight that wraps around your ankle and has small pockets for inserting weights. These allow you to adjust the weight in small increments. Tufts University recommends keeping the initial weight on your ankle below 3 lbs.
Step 3
Avoid ankle weights when walking or doing high-impact activities such as aerobics. During a weight-training exercise like a leg lift, you are in control of your entire leg and moving slowly. With walking or aerobics, you are swinging your legs out, possibly very quickly. The University of Kentucky notes this strains your knee, increasing the risk of injury. In addition, the weight can prevent you from moving faster, which is one of the goals of exercises such as walking.
Member Comments