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Hands down – ankle weights are one of the most underrated fitness accessories to get. After all, few people know that adding ankle weights to your workout can help increase resistance, build muscle, boost balance, engage the core, make the glutes work, tone the body etc.
However, simply wearing the weights and doing your daily exercises is not enough. We have come up with some creative workouts that will get your fitness journey started.
Effective Ways to Use Ankle Weights
Before we start with the exercises, it is important to understand how to incorporate these weights into the fitness regime.
- Ankle weights are not “one size fits all.” Never use the ankle weights of someone else. Firstly, calculate your body weight. The ankle weight should fall between the range of 1-2% of an individual’s body weight.
- Don’t start wearing the weights daily for your exercise sessions. Start with 2-3 times per week and don’t exceed 20 minutes of wearing the weights per session. You can increase the time duration slowly.
- For beginners, adding the weights during slower walks is ideal.
- Don’t wear the weights for longer sessions as it can cause imbalance and injury. After all, overuse of anything is harmful.
- Even if you are a fitness pro, don’t use ankle weights that exceed your body weight by 3%. This is the maximum one can go.
- These weights should be increased slowly and over time to ensure no injuries occur.
4 Creative and Effective Workouts with Ankle Weights
Following is a list of the most effective workouts to do with ankle weights. We have included a variety of workouts that target different muscle groups for maximum effectiveness.
1. Donkey Kicks
Put on your weights, get down on all fours and take the tabletop position. Your back should be straight and your knees should fall directly below your hips. Don’t bend your knees at this point. Put your hands beneath the shoulders. Next, engage the core by pulling your belly inside.
Pulling your belly inside will give you the balance and stability needed to finish the exercise without injury.
Start with one leg – preferably the right one. Only lift the right knee without lifting your hands or the other leg. Throughout the exercise, keep your back as straight as possible and your belly pulled inside. Raise the knee to your hip at a 90-degree bend. For effective results, try lifting your leg higher. Maintain the position for as long as you can. Put your leg down and come back to the original position. Repeat 5-10 reps on one leg and then switch to the other.
2. Side – Leg Lifts
Put on the ankle weights and keep a chair with you for this exercise. Stand behind it as you will need to hold on for balance. Slightly keep the feet apart. Exhale and start lifting one leg to your side. Just keep it up for 2-3 seconds. Now, bring it down while inhaling. Repeat this motion with the other leg.
With the ankle weights, even a simple exercise like the side-leg lifts will seem to be giving extra resistance.
3. Prone Superman Lifts
After wearing the weights, lie down in the tabletop position. Your arms and legs should be extended outwards. Engage your glute while pointing your toes forward. Now, raise both the arms and legs upward. All four should be off the ground together. Just hold this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
4. Snowboarders
Your ankle weights will allow you to burn more calories while doing the snowboarding. Keep your feet shoulder-length apart. You need to take the squat position. After that, bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Touch the right hand to the floor. Carefully jump and rotate your body to 190 degrees. Repeat.
Final Words
Even though ankle weights seem a very simple piece of fitness equipment, you need to work with high-quality ones. At Fitness Depot, we have some of the best equipment at the best prices. Do check out the website and order for quick delivery.
