Wish you could give your walks a little extra oomph? Ankle weights could be just what you’re looking for. By strapping a few pounds around your ankles, these fitness staples add resistance to every step, helping you up the intensity of even a simple stroll. But is this really a good strategy for more productive walks, or will ankle weights just drag you down?

We asked Alex Lee, physiotherapist and fitness recovery expert, for his take on wearing ankle weights on walks, including key benefits, drawbacks, and general recommendations. 

The Expert

• Alex Lee, physiotherapist, fitness and recovery expert, and co-founder of Saunny

An Ankle Weight Overview

Unfamiliar with the concept of wearing ankle weights on walks? Don’t worry, we’ll catch you up. Ankle weights are training devices designed to be secured around your ankles with an adjustable strap and worn throughout a workout. They’re usually pretty light (between one and three pounds), with heavier varieties typically reserved for pro athletes, fitness trainers, and healthcare providers. 

One of the simplest applications of ankle weights is on walks, whether you’re power-walking or just trying to hit that daily step goal. But people also often add them to Pilates and yoga sessions to make every movement a tad more challenging. 

The Benefits of Wearing Ankle Weights While Walking

You might have heard fitness influencers hyping up ankle weights on social media, but what’s true and what’s just fluff? Lee helped us riddle it out by explaining the two key benefits he sees from wearing ankle weights while walking: Stronger muscles in the lower extremities and better balance. 

“As a physiotherapist and fitness expert, I believe that ankle weights offer a means to work your legs in a manner that requires heavier effort than regular walking, without having to visit a gym,” says Lee. “Ankle weights work by increasing the amount of work that is involved in walking, using more of your quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks, and hip muscles than regular walking does, because, obviously, more weight is being lifted. Ankle weights also promote balance, as it is more difficult to maintain balance when wearing them.”

Can Wearing Ankle Weights Help Tone My Legs?

We’ve all been told not to skip leg day. But can wearing ankle weights help us achieve the toned leg muscles we strive for? Lee says yes, albeit in a gentler fashion than more intense strengthening exercises. 

“The added weight encourages your muscles to work hard, which is beneficial in helping them tone up over time,” says Lee. “While it’s nowhere as tough as weight training, for fitness or rehab, it’s quite enough to give your legs enough work as you walk around.”

So while ankle weights can’t replace targeted leg exercises at the gym, they can support your leg-toning efforts the next time you’re taking a neighborhood stroll or vying to win that step challenge. 

Adding Ankle Weights to Other Workouts

As mentioned above, ankle weights aren’t just for walking: Their strengthening benefits can extend to other workouts, including:

• Weight training: “They can be used for leg raises, hip abductions/adductions, glute bridges, and low-intensity aerobics,” says Lee. 
• Home workouts: “At home, ankle weights can be used to intensify bodyweight exercises.”
• Rehab: “I incorporate ankle weights in my therapy to allow my clients to gradually build up strength in a safe manner,” adds Lee. 

Potential Downsides of Ankle Weights For Walking

Like most weight-related fitness tools, ankle weights come with a few possible health risks to consider. 

“Too much weight is stress for your knees, hips, and ankles, as is walking for too long. This may lead to injury, as I know people who have problems in this area that originated in this manner,” says Lee. 

So if you have a history of knee, hip, or ankle injuries, it’s best to chat with your doctor, PT, or a certified personal trainer before adding ankle weights to your workout routine. Otherwise, you can go ahead and give them a try, but with a healthy dose of caution: “I always tell people to start off very lightly in my physiotherapy sessions, taking careful note of how they feel in relation to what they’re doing,” says Lee.

How Heavy Should Ankle Weights Be For Walking?

To get started with ankle weights for walking, you need to know how heavy to go. Lee reiterates the need to start light and build up gradually. 

“I usually suggest an ankle weight of 0.5 to 1 kg (about 1 to 2 pounds) per ankle for most adults,” he says. “Too much weight changes your walking pattern and it puts stress on joints. So only proceed to progressively heavier weights if comfortable doing so, and never push through pain.”

If you’re looking for ankle weights that fall within this weight range, Lee recommends Bala Bangles. He notes that they’re great for beginners, with a light, comfy fit that won’t change your walking too much. 

As the saying goes, less is more. With ankle weights, we’re not aiming for a weight you can brag about with gym bros, but rather gradual resistance for subtle gains over time. 

How to Walk (Safely) With Ankle Weights

With a little extra weight around your ankles, you may need to walk more mindfully than before to avoid straining your joints. Here are Lee’s top tips for a productive (not painful) ankle weight walk:

• “Make sure to keep your back straight, which means maintaining an upright posture and making sure to keep your spine tall.”
• “Engage your core muscles as well as your buttocks to maintain support as you walk.”
• “Shorten your step to minimize stress on your knees and hips.”
• “Walk in a controlled manner, which also involves walking in a heel-to-toe motion…consistency and control matter more than weight or speed.”
• “Avoid swinging your legs too much.”

Closing Thoughts: Should You Wear Ankle Weights on Walks?

We’ve learned that wearing 1-to 2-pound weights on each ankle can help strengthen your glutes and leg muscles during walks and home workouts. But before diving in, here are a few last tips from Lee to guide your ankle weight routine. 

“For most individuals, ankle weights remain a small support tool. They won’t replace full training in terms of building more comprehensive strength, but they do provide an added level of weight to movements to make them more beneficial in terms of endurance, activation, as well as variations,” he says.

“Ankle weights remain most beneficial for individuals in adulthood who prefer something low-impact [to work] their legs [and] maintain home-based accessibility,” adds Lee. 

Looking for other ways to elevate your daily steps or home workout routine? Check out these picks from the Stridekick Shop:

• SHAPES Bundle 2.0, a set of fabric resistance bands to add resistance to virtually any exercise and tone your muscles
• HOKA Men’s Clifton 10, a light, plush trainer for daily miles
• ONNIT Creatine, an award-winning creatine supplement to support muscle, strength, and power gains

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