Do Ankle Weights Work?

Ankle weights can increase you chance of injury.
Image Credit: kicsiicsi/iStock/GettyImages

The claims for ankle weights include burning fat and building leg muscles by adding to the resistance of your exercise.

Advertisement

While there may be some benefit for aerobic and cardiovascular exercises that elevate your heart rate for the sake of burning calories, ankle weights can also increase your risk of injury. For best results, only use ankle weights for controlled workouts that involve strengthening specific leg muscles, such as squats, lunges, kicks and leg lifts.

Video of the Day

Tip

Ankle weights work when they're used for specific exercises that call for them. Otherwise, they can set you up for injury.

The Purpose of Ankle Weights

Ankle weights attach to the area just above your ankle joint to provide added weight to your leg motions. The point of the extra weight is to increase the strength of your glutes, quadriceps and calve muscles due to the additional resistance, resulting in an increased muscle mass over time.

Advertisement

However, due to the awkward positioning of the weights above your ankle, strains, sprains and minor injuries are more likely to occur while running or walking. Ankle weights are also beneficial to those people with arthritis, says exercise scientist Len Kravitz, writing for the University of New Mexico.

Read more:Benefits From Ankle Weights

Effectiveness During Exercise

Ankle weights offer the most benefits for strength-training exercises that use the weights to isolate different muscle groups. For example, the leg-lift exercise is intensified by the added resistance as you lie on your back and raise one leg at a time, providing a demanding core exercise.

Advertisement

Sumo squats that involve lifting the legs in succession also work your leg and hip muscles harder when you wear ankle weights, strengthening those areas more than if you were only lifting your body weight.

Ankle Weights Versus Incline Training

Ankle weights are less effective when it comes to aerobic and cardiovascular exercise. Instead of adding ankle weights to your brisk walking routine, try walking uphill to gain the calorie-burning benefits of increasing elevation.

Advertisement

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, walking uphill at a 3.5mph pace will burn 422 calories in one hour, in a person who weighs 155 pounds. Walking briskly at 4mph at a very brisk pace will burn only 281 calories for the same person in the same amount of time.

Advertisement

Stair climbing is another incline-training method that outdistances those who claim that ankle weights improve the aerobic impact of your workout. Be like Rocky and use the stairs at your local stadium for a calorie-busting workout. Even a stair step machine will burn 446 calories in one hour for a person who weighs 155 pounds, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Advertisement

Read more:The Risks of Walking With Ankle Weights

Dangers of Ankle Weights

Ankle weights apply increased force on the joints and muscles surrounding the ankle, exacerbating existing problems while potentially causing injury. ACE Fitness says that wearing ankle weights while sprinting is making undesirable changes to the muscle firing patterns.

Advertisement

Ankle weights will not benefit your running form in any way and will adversely affect your gait. Individuals who are frail or overweight are particularly at risk of the extra strain on their ankles and knees. For best results, talk to your doctor before adding ankle weights to your workout routine.

Advertisement

Advertisement

references

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...