Walking with ankle weights can boost the burn—try these trainer tips
Love walking but looking for a way to take it to the next level? Adding resistance is always a good option if you need to up the intensity of an exercise. One way to do this is to try walking with ankle weights.
The piece of equipment might feel a little retro—a contoured ankle weight was first patented in the 70s, and they really started to take off in the 80s—but they still carry some benefits if you add them to your workouts today, experts say. That said, there’s a time and a place to use them and a cap to just how much of an impact they can make.
Here’s what you need to know before strapping weights to your ankles for your next walk.
Meet the experts: Nellie Barnett, CPT, is the founder of Nellbells Fitness, an alum of the Women’s Health Strength In Diversity class of 2023, and author of The Woman’s Guide to Strength Training: Dumbbells, created by WH. Alexander Rothstein, CSCS, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist and instructor for the Exercise Science program at New York Institute of Technology.
What walking in ankle weights can (and can’t) do for your fitness
Ankle weights add a small amount—anywhere from one to three pounds—of resistance on a walk. They engage more of the smaller, stabiliser muscles in your legs and core (like the tibialis anterior and posterior, the transverse abdominis, and the obliques) in addition to your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and therefore make your workout just a little bit harder compared to if you were doing a regular old walk. (This also means that they can help burn a few extra calories due to the added intensity of the exercise.)
'As humans, we’re very efficient when walking and we’re actually not using that much musculature,' says Alexander Rothestein, CSCS, an exercise physiologist at New York Institute of Technology. 'Adding weight to your ankles makes specific phases of the walking movement harder.'
Upon first introducing ankle weights during your walks, you'll target some of those leg muscles that aren’t otherwise worked as intensely when you’re walking. But, it’s important to keep in mind that this benefit is slight and only works in the beginning because you can’t continue to increase the weights for a progressive overload, says Nellie Barnett, CPT, the founder of Nellbells Fitness, and author of The Woman’s Guide To Strength Training: Dumbbells.
They’re a good option if you’ve been walking for a while and are looking for a small way to push yourself to the next level. Eventually, though, you’ll want to graduate up to other ways of increasing the intensity of a walk, such as playing with speed and/or incline intervals, like with the 12-3-30 workout. And, if muscle definition is really what you’re after, you’re going to want to focus on strength training in addition to walking.
Still, ankle weights are a good way to add an extra challenge to a walk or workout from time to time. You just need to pay attention to how they affect your movement, says Rothstein. Especially when walking, having those extra pounds around your ankles can change your gait, causing you to have more momentum when you swing your foot forward. Make sure you’re still walking normally to prevent injury.
The best ways to incorporate ankle weights into walks
Start small! You don’t need to wear the weights for a long period of time, and building up to wearing them more frequently, as opposed to adding them to every walk for week, for instance, will help prevent injury.
Start with 15 to 30 minutes, says Barnett. Each week, you can increase your time wearing the weights by about ten percent to make sure you’re not overdoing it, adds Rothstein. You also want to consider the terrain you’re walking on to avoid fall risks and overburdening your joints.
Stick to ankle weights that are three pounds or less so that you don’t put too much pressure on your joints, says Barnett. Make sure your pair fits; there should be no sliding, chaffing, or irritation, both experts agree. Check that they’re form-fitting, and if you need a little help keeping them snug or to prevent rubbing, wear a pair of tall socks, Rothstein says.
Another note: You don’t just have to wear the weights on your ankles. You can add resistance to your wrist which should help you increase your metabolic burn (but probably won’t help tone your arms, FYI), or throw your weights in your backpack for a rucking workout to boost strength and cardio endurance.
But the best way to add resistance and see all these benefits, according to both experts? A weighted vest. That said, there are times when ankle weights are better than a weighted vest—like if you’re using them for any exercises when you’re lying on your back, like a reverse crunch, for example—so it’s good to have different kinds of equipment.
WH editor-approved ankle weights to try
Bangles
These cult-favorite ankle weights are popular for good reason: "I've had mine for a couple of years now and use them at least twice a week, and the velcro and elastic has not worn out," says WH executive health and fitness director Jacqueline Andriakos. "Plus, the colors and design are just gorgeous for a piece of workout equipment!"
1.5lb Ankle Weights
Pvolve's 1.5 pound ankle weights have a velcro adjustable strap so you can get the right fit and aremade with an extra-soft fabric for a comfortable feel. You can also use them as wrist weights.
Ankle Weights
Gaiam's 2.5 pound ankle weights are adjustable and made of an anti-chafe fabric. They have a velcro closure.
Ankle/Wrist Weights
Tone Fitness' one-pound ankle weights are less than five dollars. They're adjustable, soft, and stretchy.
Ankle weight exercises to try
Ankle weights are good for more activities than walking. Add them to a strength training, Pilates, or a barre session for an extra challenge and more muscle activation—especially for moves with your legs off the ground that work the core or legs, says Barnett.
Bird-dog
How to:
Start on all fours with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders.
Keeping back completely flat, lift left arm out, and extend right leg straight behind.
Bend left elbow and right knee, then bring them together to touch underneath your body.
Extend back out straight. That’s 1 rep. Continue for 30 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side.
Bicycle crunch
How to:
Lie flat with lower back pressed into mat. Interlace fingers to create a cradle and place it behind head with elbows out of peripheral vision.
Float legs up to a tabletop position, ankles in line with knees, and engage abdominals.
Lift head, so shoulder blades are hovering off of the ground.
Straighten right leg long while turning upper body left and bring right elbow toward left knee, twisting at the ribs and leading with shoulder rather than elbow. That’s 1 rep.
Switch and repeat on the other side.
Marching glute bridge
How to:
Lie faceup on the floor with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Raise hips so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lift one knee to chest, and lower back to the start. That’s 1 rep.
Alternate between sides.
Side plank crunch
How to:
Start in a side plank on right forearm with left arm bent and hand resting behind head and legs extended, feet stacked. Head to heels should form a straight line.
Bring left knee toward left elbow in a crunch, engaging obliques. That’s 1 rep.
Return to start and continue for 30 seconds.
Repeat on opposite side.
Plank jacks
How to:
Start in a forearm plank position with elbows under shoulders and palms pressing into the mat.
Engage core and jump both feet out wide to each side.
Quickly jump both feet back in together to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
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