Fact Check: Should You Use Ankle Weights When Running or Exercising?

Ankle weights are an interesting subject in the fitness industry. Not everybody uses them, and the ones who use them have given varying verdicts.

Usually, these can be used during cardio and resistance training, and any other time you want to add them to your routine. The question is - should you add them to your fitness routine?

However, before attempting to understand whether or not you should add them, it’s important to understand what they are.

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What Are Ankle Weights?

These are weights you can wrap around your ankles. Their primary goal is to add extra resistance to your workout routine.

Additionally, these weights can help with improving the muscle endurance of body parts that cannot be targeted via dumbbells or machines, such as ankles, shins, and others.

These weights are available in various resistances, and you should pick one that aligns with your fitness level.

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Should You Add Ankle Weights To Your Routine?

It’s important to remember that everyone has their own fitness levels. While for some, ankle weights may not be a hazard, it could be for others.

Of course, there are several benefits of using additional resistance, such as:

1. Allows you to burn more calories because of the additional effort.
2. Helps with improving balance and stability by strengthening ankle joints.
3. Enables you to improve your walking mechanics resulting in improved stamina.
4. Has a beneficial impact on knee joints.

Meanwhile, these weights could end up being the reason why you have knee pain if you use them while walking or jogging.

Your knee joints are already under stress while walking or jogging. If you add more resistance, the impact is borne by your joints, which could lead to unwanted injuries or increase the risk of injury.

When you’re running or walking, your feet are closer to the ground. In that case, the weights weigh you down, which could lead to your ankle rolling or you tripping. That ends up being more harmful than effective.

Meanwhile, if you’re weights during resistance training, it could be effective, as it helps with the overall resistance your body is required to handle. Additionally, you can use ankle weights when you’re using the treadmill.

That allows you to adjust the speed as per your requirements, and the weights add the extra weight needed to reap extra benefits from the session.

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Bottom Line

It’s fine to use ankle weights while running or exercising, but eventually, it depends on whether you can manage the additional resistance. Even the slightest bit of mismanagement of the weight can lead to injuries or cramps.

It’s best to not use ankle weights unless you’ve reached a point where your legs are strong enough to exercise while wearing weights.

However, if you absolutely want to use ankle weights, use lighter resistance. That'll ensure you do not put immense pressure on your ankle and knee joints, while allowing your muscles to get used to the continuous resistance owing to putting ankle weights.