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The best ankle weights for enhancing your home workouts, starting from £8.99
Extra burn for under a tenner? Count us in.
It's true, ankle weights are no longer the fodder of your jazzercise-obsessed Auntie. In fact, dare we say, the weighted wrist and ankle accoutrements are the small bit of equipment we're most excited about ATM. They provide an easy way to add load to exercises, so you can ramp up the intensity of your workout, and since they're both small and portable (albeit rather heavy, depending on the weight you opt for) they make great additions to at-home (and, sometimes, on-the-go) workouts. They also won't cost you an arm and a leg (pun absolutely intended).
So, from über aesthetic options to 'does the job'-ers, we've rounded up the best ankle weights – many of which are on sale – to make your home workouts that much more challenging. And we've asked the experts for their tips and tricks for adding them into your routine, too. You're welcome.
Best ankle weights
What do ankle weights do?
A handy piece of equipment, ankle weights are great for placing extra load on leg, glute and hip muscles during exercise. This extra load (read: weight) means your body has to work harder to stabilise during movement. Spice up lower body workouts as well as low impact options with even just 0.5kg of weight. It feels like more, trust us. As for how to increase your glute gains, ankle weights are particularly effective for bum exercises such as donkey kicks and single-leg glute bridges. It's all about the added resistance.
You can also pop them on your wrists for an upper-body burn – think power walking, dance classes, and anything that requires your arms and shoulders to get working.
Do ankle weights work?
Similar to the best fitness trackers, just putting ankle weights on won't do much to tone muscle. However, add in some exercise and you've got double the challenge straight out the gate. Whether you're doing leg-sculpting Pilates movements or booty-focused Barre, wearing ankle weights will provide your muscles with more resistance which in turn will work to build lean, strong muscle.
What are the best exercises for ankle weights?
Ankle weights are particularly effective when used during workouts with small movements, such as Barre and Pilates, as the weight won't be challenging enough for a big compound exercise.
As for at-home workouts, Lee Mullins, leading personal trainer and founder of Workshop Gymnasium, advises adding ankle weights to glute, leg or abdominal exercises that include lifting the leg. "For example, lying on your back, both legs vertically in the air, and slowly lowering one leg towards the floor with an ankle weight on will add extra resistance that your abdominals and hip flexors will have to work against. Another exercise that's great in conjunction with ankle weights is the 'bird dog', where you begin on all fours, then reach forward with the right arm and kick back the left leg at the same time, before switching sides."
What's the best weight for ankle weights?
Simple answer: it depends on your goals and fitness abilities. Ankle weights are there to add challenge and resistance – however, what constitutes a challenge for one person might not for another. "Using just the weight of your leg without anything added will be the best starting point for beginners," advises Mullins. "Once you find this easy, then try adding on 1kg ankle weights – and once that becomes easy, you can add 2kg."
In short: choose a weight that allows you to perform exercises well, without sacrificing form for weight.
Are ankle weights good for running?
Building up muscle on your legs while getting your run in sounds like a recipe for success, right? Well, maybe not. "Using ankle weights with exercises that help strengthen the hip flexors will certainly help your running performance," explains Mullins. "But running with ankle weights on is a terrible idea."
The risks include putting too much strain on your back, knees, hips and ankles, which can lead to serious injuries over time such as stress fractures and joint pain. Save your ankle weights for your pilates and barre sessions rather than your 5k.
The best ankle weights for 2024
Morgan Fargo is a freelance beauty and wellness editor. Her CV includes Women's Health Magazine UK (and sister publication Women's Health Australia), Stylist Magazine and more.
Bridie is Fitness Editor at Women's Health UK. She spends her days sweating over new workouts, fitness launches and the best home gym kit so you have all that you need to get fit done. Her work has been published in Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and more. She’s also a part-time yoga teacher with a habit of nodding off mid savasana (not when she’s teaching, promise).
Clementina Jackson is the Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health UK, covering everything from and catwalk trends to buzzy brands and the cult products you need to know about (and shop before they sell out). She also commissions first-person and long-form fashion features, oversees and tests out the latest industry innovations. Clementina previously worked as Digital Fashion Editor at , during which time she profiled high-end designers, interviewed everyone from Priyanka Chopra to Jane Fonda, and launched the franchise to shine a light on size-inclusive fashion. During this time, she was also named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner. Having worked in journalism for more than six years, Clementina has also written for the likes of , , , and , covering everything from luxury travel, lifestyle and restaurants to photography and interiors.
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