After a knee injury forced a change in routine, a personal trainer wore Sportneer ankle weights daily for a week and found they added a challenging dimension to lower-body workouts, from walks to barre classes.
Why ankle weights?
The trainer chose ankle weights to isolate the legs, knowing the importance of building muscle during perimenopause. As a city dweller, she already hauls grocery bags on foot, calling it “instant rucking,” but wanted to add more to her lower-body muscle management.
Dr Bob Baravarian, a podiatric foot and ankle specialist and chief of podiatric foot and ankle surgery at Providence Saint John’s health center in Santa Monica, explained that “ankle weights increase the muscle strain and muscle use during walking and even exercises at the gym. This keeps good muscle tone, which then reduces strain on the joints and also helps with balance and strength.”
Choosing the right pair
The key was finding adjustable weights comfortable against bare skin. The popular Bala Bangles, starting at $55 and running $79 for the 3lb (1kg) option, banged against her ankle bones. She landed on Sportneer’s Adjustable Ankle Weights, which are half the price and easily adjustable.
Sportneer offers two pairs: 2-7lbs and 2-10lbs. She chose the lighter set, with 11in (28cm) straps, noting the heavier set’s straps are about 12.5in, which may suit larger legs.
Stephanie Silveira, PhD, director of the Community Health Rehabilitation Research Lab at UTHealth Houston, advised: “A useful guideline is to aim for a moderate intensity effort, or about a five out of 10 on a perceived exertion scale... While ankle weights are not a substitute for a comprehensive strength-training program, they can be an effective progression for individuals looking to make their current exercise routine more challenging.”
A week of testing
The weights come with five removable mini sandbags in neoprene pockets, each weighing 0.6lbs (the 10lb option offers 1lb increments), adjustable from 1 to 3.5lbs. They fit snugly under a Velcro strap.
She tested three activities repeatedly: a 3-mile walk on Monday with 2.9lbs per ankle, a 45-minute barre class on Tuesday with full weight, and a 30-minute uphill treadmill walk on Wednesday starting at 3mph and 5% incline, ending at 3.5mph and 7% incline. She repeated the pattern on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then wore them all day Sunday around the house and on outings.
Are ankle weights worth it?
After a week, she felt a difference: “My hamstrings felt like I had done deadlifts, my quads mimicked the soreness after a spinning class and my glutes felt like I had climbed a few flights of stairs.” She felt encouraged that regular use could build muscle and maintain bone density without further injury.
She found the adjustable load simple to modify, removing a sandbag if an activity tweaked her knee or back. The test reinforced a lifelong lesson: “when your body talks, you listen.”
