What Are the Benefits of Walking With Ankle Weights?

Ankle weights are fabric bands that have weights placed inside them and then are strapped around the ankles with Velcro. The bands may be filled with sand, metal bars, or even pellets. When working out, ankle weights provide added resistance to make exercise more effective. According to the Mayo Clinic, ankle weights are not recommended for brisk walking because they may strain the ankle joint and leg muscles. However, ankle weights can increase the effectiveness of several other types of exercise.

  1. New Exercises

    • When one is wearing ankle weights, there are several more types of exercises that can be done with the added resistance on the legs. Moving your leg up and down is not typically considered a high intensity workout move, but with ankle weights it can become one. Ankle weights also increase the intensity of abdominal workouts like leg lifts and bicycles by increasing resistance.

    Intensity

    • Ankle weights are an easy way to increase the intensity of a workout, so much so that the workout could be much shorter and still offer similar benefits. If you are already in very good condition, with no joint problems, running with ankle weights will build up leg muscles more quickly, and swimming with ankle weights will give a much more intense leg workout.

    Comfort

    • In many exercises, holding the weight can be awkward and uncomfortable. Bands in exercises can be difficult to maneuver at times. Ankle weights do not pose these same problems. The material that ankle weights are made of is soft, and the weights attach securely so that you have use of your hands. In the case that you drop your weights, ankle weights will not hurt as much and are much safer than an iron dumbbell.

    Leverage

    • The placement of an ankle weight helps it to benefit more of the body overall. For instance , a pack worn on the back will exert pressure on the back, whereas an ankle weight exerts pressure on the legs as well as the center of gravity on the body. Using an ankle weight at various parts of the leg can create a highly intense full body workout.