Online Reporter
ANKLE weights are “weights” that you slip onto your ankles before doing an exercise.
Its primary goal is to overall increase strength and improve endurance. Adding additional weight onto your base forces your body to exert and produce more force than what you are accustomed to, eventually increasing your endurance and building your overall stamina.
Moreover, ankle weights are also used to increase overall musculature and mass in your glutes, quadriceps and calves.
Are ankle weights good or bad for you?
If ankle weights used the right way, they are good for you.
If you understand how to use them, what exercises are safe, when to stop exercising with them, then you are in the clear.
However, if ankle weights used the wrong way, they will be bad for you. Make sure you don’t have any existing ankle or knee injuries.
As a result, this can worsen the condition. If you are unsure of this, consult a physician. In addition, if you are unsure of what exercises to do and how to go about using ankle weights consult a personal trainer with proper knowledge.
How to make ankle weights?
If you decide that you do not want to purchase ankle weights, you can get creative and make your own at home. To do so, you will need a long sock, rice, beans or sand, and some string and a shoelace.
Fill the sock with either rice, beans or sand. Weigh the sock to ensure that it is the appropriate weight. If you are unsure and have never used an ankle weight before, start with a sock that weighs one pound. Tie the end of the sock so the filling does not spill out.
Use the string to divide the sock into sections. This will create a series of small circles in the sock.
Next, use a shoelace to create the strap that runs down the weight. Start by tying the shoelace to one end of the sock, and then creating a knot at each division between the circles as you get down to the other end.
The shoelace will act as the strap that you will tie together when the weight is around the ankle.
Benefits of ankle weights
The benefits of ankle weights are that it is an accessible way to add load to exercises where you elevate your leg.
Since the ankle weights are securely attached to your ankles, it eliminates the clumsiness of trying to hold a dumbbell or other standard gym equipment with your lower limbs.
They can also be used to make cardio exercises more challenging due to the added weight. With proper use, ankle weights can do a lot to enhance workouts. Here are other benefits of ankle weights:
Better endurance
As previously mentioned, when used properly, ankle weights can help build your overall endurance. This is because the extra force you exert helps increase your stamina, which in turn helps your cardiovascular and pulmonary health.
Tones your legs
If doing leg raises without any resistance already does a lot to shape your legs, then imagine what your legs could look like with incorporating weights.
In fact, it is recommended to add weight resistance when it comes to toning your legs, as it proves to be far more effective than simply doing more reps. Of course, with any workout routine, variation is recommended and needed.
More versatility
Ankle weights can also be helpful in adding variety to your routine. You can also add them to your stationary exercises, such as multi-plane leg raises.
More burnt calories
Ankle weights can also help you burn a few hundred calories. This is because applying more force results in more energy expenditure; which results in your body burning more calories. Ankle weights are a great way to add progressive overload.
Strengthens stems
In addition to tone your thighs, wearing weights while working out increases the overall strength of your glutes and hamstrings and calves.
Help in water workouts
Although it is rather uncommon, many athlete’s use ankle weights while swimming. A big perk to this is that it doesn’t cause any joint issues. In fact, using ankle weights while swimming can actually strengthen your knee and ankle joints.
Extra resistance to abdominal workouts
Believe it or not, ankle weights can help take your abdominal workouts to the next level. Especially since the abs are a difficult area to train and can be best targeted via compound movements.
Ensure to maintain a pelvic tilt the whole way through. A great exercise to do with ankle weights and one of our favourites is abdominal leg raises. Give it a go!
Disadvantages of ankle weights
We have highlighted most of the benefits of using ankle weights. However, it is also important to address the disadvantages. Ankle weights are a tool, and excessive use of these can cause serious problems.
Because of this, it’s recommended to use them sparingly and/or moderately. According to research it states that “ankle weights can easily cause joint stress (as opposed to muscle-building) if you use them all the time.
Another reason is that your muscles, tendons, and joints, need rest once in a while. Adding weight consistently can overload the joints. A method to training around this would be to simply increase your reps and/or speed and put the weights aside.
When it comes to aerobic and cardiovascular exercise, ankle weights also tend to be less effective than stair-climbing or uphill-walking. Not to mention that the latter provides a bigger calorie burn.
For anyone looking to add variation or a method to increase intensity in their usual monotonous exercise routine, the ankle weights provide a quick and easy solution. It’s cost-effective, versatile, and can be utilised in a whole myriad of exercises.
As a matter of fact, you can target all major muscle groups using ankle weights, given you know how to properly use it, and you do so in moderation.
The bottom line is, it’s a great tool. However, too much of a good thing can be bad, and in this case, relying on temporary added resistance and strength isn’t going to give you any good and long lasting results. So add variation, keep everything in moderation, and be safe! — Online
