‘I exercised with ankle weights for 30 days'

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Let’s cast our minds back to 2012. The UK was hosting its third Olympics, the now cult brand Peloton had just spun onto the at-home fitness scene and Gymshark launched, making waves on the internet (and in our workout wardrobes). But 2012 was also when I first discovered my MO for affordable ways to strength train and in doing so this lead me to — you guessed it — ankle weights. Olympic Weight Plates

‘I exercised with ankle weights for 30 days

At the time, the small, unassuming and relatively inexpensive fitness aids saw me through full-body workouts in the comfort of my crumbling uni halls. They powered my morning yoga flows and added some much-needed resistance to my short and sharp lower-body blasts. Fast forward one pandemic, a cost of living crisis and 10-and-a-bit years later and these wearable weights are still having a hot minute.

Historically used for rehab purposes, some say ankle weights have now found a renewed sense of fitness fame through the rise (and rise) of Pilates, along with their ability to sprinkle some extra spice into any bodyweight workout — just ask Halle Berry, Kate Hudson or Hailey Bieber. So, to see what all the fuss is about, I’m exercising with ankle weights for 30 days on the trot. Four words: the burn is *real*.

Usually, I try to exercise four to five times a week, getting my workouts done before I start my 9-5. While completing this ankle weights challenge, however, I won't be having any rest days, but I will be limiting my workouts to around 20 minutes or less to avoid overdoing it.

In terms of the types of workouts I'll be doing, I’m intending to stick as close as possible to my usual schedule. I’ve only made slight tweaks to include moves that will best suit the use of ankle weights, like Pilates, yoga and other bodyweight exercises.

Here is how each week within my 30-day ankle weight challenge will look:

PSA: this is, of course, my own personal exercise plan and includes a mix of movements that I enjoy doing, but remember that this is for the purpose of this article. I don't intend on giving up rest days in the long term, and neither should you. If you’re thinking of taking on a challenge, it’s worth speaking to a PT who can help devise your own schedule based on your health goals and current fitness levels.

‘Ankle weights are like mini sandbags with a velcro strap and come in different weights,’ explains Maria Eleftheriou, Head of Barre at boutique fitness brand Psycle.

And, despite their name, ankle weights can also be strapped onto your wrists to help fire up your upper body. But these wearable weights are by no means new.

‘Ankle weights have been used for many years to help aid balance rehabilitation,’ Eleftheriou recalls. ‘But over the last few years we have seen a trend in non-injured individuals using them to add more substance to their walks and body weight fitness, including barre, Pilates, aerobic exercise classes and weight lifting to increase the output of their workout,’ Eleftheriou says.

Ankle weights can help benefit everything from your bones to your bum — and in more ways than one. They can also:

Available in a 0.5kg weight right up to 10kg (!), I initially felt that adding a 1kg ankle weight to my basket was a little bit — dare I say it — silly. Would 1kg make a difference? Should I go heavier? Or would I buy this weight and then need to upgrade it in a couple of weeks time?

However, with my rational head on, as someone who gets her kicks from weight training and who has done so for the past decade, I know 1kg in the world of lifting is absolutely nothing to be scoffed at, and so that's what I went with.

After completing just 10 kickbacks, the pump was most definitely on. And even four weeks after completing every workout, I can still feel the burn. Consider me (and my bottom half) humbled. My advice? Start small, go slow to really deep the mind muscle connection and thank yourself a whole lot later.

It actually feels like you’re wading through shallow water. At first I felt a bit sceptical about plodding around too much in my ankle weights any more than I need to, despite most experts giving it the green light (providing you’re not injured, have joint problems, arthritis and maintain the correct form).

But to avoid overloading your limbs or doing yourself a mischief, I personally found that there’s an art to walking safely in ankle weights. The trick? Instead of rocking your weights with your usual walking gait, focus on a ‘marching style’ of walking to really pick up your feet and plod with purpose.

At the risk of stating the obvious: lower-body exercises like walking lunges, side leg raises, kickbacks and step-ups worked best when using ankle weights. That’s because these types of movements really isolate specific areas, like your quads, glutes and calves, and put my legs under more resistance than they were used to at home.

Even after my first lower-body workout, everything from my glutes to my calves were on fire. Me: 0, ankle weights: 1.

I’m a sucker for a piece of kit that doubles up. And ankle weights are a prime example, as most can be used as wrist weights too. As long as the weights can be fitted securely enough around your wrists without sliding up and down, you’re basically getting two pieces of fit kit or the price of one. Winning!

In fact, this was something Eleftheriou highlighted. ‘I suggest a few times a week for short periods of time so you are not consistently overloading the joints,’ she said.

And with the mountains (and mountains) of research showing just why rest days are so major, going forwards I don’t intend to ditch them anytime soon.

This challenge was an exception, in the name of journalism, to find out everything I could about ankle weights. Thank me later.

After 30 days of using ankle weights to exercise, I’m pretty sure these wearable wonders are a budget-friendly shortcut to a more conditioned, well…everything. Want to strengthen your arms? Try some weighted arm circles. Hoping to hone your glutes? Kneeling rear leg raises will do the trick.

But don’t be fooled. Ankle weights are a deceptively tough addition to any bodyweight workout and IMHO, I’m here for it. For me, there’s only so many bodyweight workouts I can do at home until my motivation runs dry and my progress starts plateauing. But that’s where ankle weights step up to the plate.

Of note, my lower half feels much stronger than it did at the start of this challenge. Give me four more weeks and I’m sure I’ll consider adding some 1.5kg weights to my basket.

In a nutshell: will I be using ankle weights in the gym? With a room full of plates, dumbbells and kettlebells, there’s not much point. But for home workouts where space is of the essence? Load me up!

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Women's Health, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network

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