Ankle Weights Pros and Cons List

Weighted exercise has been observed for around thousands of years, actually dating back to the Persians who filled cow bladders with water or sand to create medicine balls that were used for soldier training. These days, walkers use ankle weights to increase the cardiovascular exercises they perform and burn more calories. These pieces of equipment have proven to be effective, but like other workout devices, they also have some downsides. So, before you use them, it is important to know their pros and cons first.

List of Pros of Ankle Weights

1. They enhanced cardiovascular workouts.
Ankle weights are strapped around your ankles, and as these devices oppose gravity, you need to utilize force in order to lift your leg. This means your hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes are going to work harder and develop into big muscles. Such result is very different from that of strolling around without wearing ankle weights. The fact that your leg muscles have to work harder with these pieces of equipment means it is beneficial to your cardiovascular health.

2. They help develop muscle strength and bone density.
When you exercise with ankle weights, you are enhancing your bones’ density, while minimizing your chances of developing osteoporosis. These workout devices give you lightweight resistance, which is recommended by health professionals for older people. They will be able to utilize these pieces of equipment as a substitute to bigger and heavier training equipment when performing resistance workouts. As a result, they enhance muscle tone and build bode density, while enhancing mobility and walking speed.

3. They enhanced burning of calories.
Putting additional weight to your body during workout can enhance the load that stimulates your heart and muscles to work harder. The more organs and muscles you activate, the more energy is required from you to continue the workout. This also means greater amount of calories you burn.

List of Cons of Ankle Weights

1. They risk leg strain and injury.
According to rehabilitation and physical medicine specialists, ankle weights can put an enhanced pressure on your joints, which means they can also strain your leg muscles and ankle joints, increasing the possibility of serious damage. Also, these pieces of equipment do not develop your leg muscles evenly. For example, they would strengthen your quadriceps, while not strengthening your hamstring in the reverse side of your legs.

2. They lead to excessive joint loading.
Take note that using these exercise equipment to enhance your workout’s intensity can come at a high price. It could place too much pressure on your joints, which can lead to pain and injury. Moreover, it can lead to the alteration of your gait, developing strained and imbalanced muscles. Especially if you are overweight with existing pain in your joints, you must avoid wearing ankle weights.

Based on the pros and cons mentioned above, we can just presume that ankle weights are definitely appropriate for those in good medical condition, but for those having physical issues. So, would you go for ankle weights or not?