While your goal is to enjoy yourself and improve your life through exercise, ankle weight is one exercise tool that will add a bit of spice to your workout experience. The use and benefits of ankle weight vary; this makes it more perfect for exercise.
One efficient way of adding resistance to your workout is through the use of ankle weight. While it offers just more than resistance, this article will deliver more information about the amazing ankle weight benefits, and why you should also include it in your routine. But first, let’s consider some details about ankle weight.
The Ankle Weight
Ankle weights are weighted bands that are designed to be worn around your ankles. These weights are best placed at the lower shin, which makes them more comfortable. They are worn for shaping the legs and other parts of the body. Ankle weight often comes in varying weights; you will find most between 1 – 10 pounds. As such, you get to choose the right weight for your exercise routine. So, what are the essential ankle weight benefits? Consider the following ten benefits.
#1. It burns more calories
One of the primary goals of those engaging in a severe workout routine is to shed some calories. When you add ankle weight when engaging in exercise, it will result in you applying more force and energy for the same type of exercise. The result of expending more energy leads to increased burning of calories.
With the addition of ankle weight in your workout routine, you can enjoy a progressive overload that will be more beneficial in the long run. It adds more to your weight, and when you run, jog, or workout with this extra load, you end up burning more calories than expected. So, if you have bigger weight or you want a more intense workout routine, you should think of using ankle weight.
As advised by fitness trainers, if you will be making use of ankle weight, it has to be used regularly. When engaging in other activities outside your workout session, you can still put it on. When on an errand, or when engaging in your daily chores, you can put the ankle weight on, this will significantly increase the number of calories burnt even in your subconscious state.
#2. It strengthens the legs
Most often make use of ankle weight for strengthening their legs. In fact, if0 you crave for a muscular look, ankle weight makes that more achievable. With the ankle weight on, you are bound to use more leg muscles either for exercise sake or for mere walking. This results in making your leg stronger and faster.
The effect also becomes visible on the quadriceps, glutes, hamstring, and the other muscles in the leg, they become more powerful. While the weight might be small, and not really make a difference to you at the onset, over time, you’ll start to see the effect of the ankle weight. The more you strain the muscles, the heavier the legs become, the stronger it becomes, the greater the force needed for movement and running. This improves the toning of your legs and makes you more stable.
#3. It improves body toning
The general belief is that ankle weight tones the leg alone. But this is far from the truth. Your whole body is toned when you make use of ankle weight. The type of exercise you are engaging in often influences the effectiveness of ankle weights. For routines like jumping jacks, leg raises, and lunges, without adding any extra weight, your butt, legs, and core are shaped up.
Imagine adding extra weight; the result will be more evident and plausible. When you engage in detailed weight training, or when you add ankle weight to your daily routine, it helps in toning your body and muscles. As such, fewer reps will deliver more results than expected. If you will successfully tone your body, you need to try a different form of exercise. Without bulking up, ankle weight will quickly help you reach your weight goals, and with that extra load, your muscles tend to become stronger.
#4. It improves resistance for your training
Resistance is needed during your workout, only when it is improved can you enjoy working out. If you want to up your resistance, you should consider adding an ankle weight to your routine. With ankle weight, you will be required to expend more energy to complete your workout routine.
The effect of this additional resistance will be visible in your abs. Training the abs is a detailed exercise that involves unique movements, adding ankle weight will help improve these thorough abs routine.
#5. It boosts your endurance
You need endurance when working out; this is one of the greatest ankle weight benefits. Without endurance, you’ll not do much every time your workout. When you regularly train with ankle weight, you up the level of your endurance. The result will be evident in every part of your body.
You are bound to spend more energy while engaging in your “Once Easy” workout routine, and that will push you to spend the required energy. With what result? You end up improving and increasing your endurance level, that extra motivation you give yourself keeps pushing you to do more.
Read: Best Ankle Weight For Running
#6. It improves your workout versatility
You may have tried a different form of exercise, but with ankle weight, you will be adding varieties to these routines. It makes running more interesting, and when engaging in stationary exercise, you also get to enjoy it more. Exercise routines like planks, leg raises, etc. becomes more challenging and interesting.
Having engaged in a form of exercise over a long period, your body tends to adapt to this routine, and your movement becomes more predictable. But with ankle weight, you break this chain of defined movement and keep trying something new.
#7. It improves your breathing muscles
As earlier stated, ankle weight does not work for the leg alone; it does more for your body overall. The ankle weight benefits also affect your breathing muscles. Those battling with breathing problems like asthma can benefit more from making use of ankle weight during their workout session.
For an exercise routine that involves breathing with ankle weight, especially when the weight rests on your diaphragm, it delivers results similar to strength training for your respiratory muscles, making them work better. You can use ankle weight for any type of breathing exercise, but it is best to speak with a health expert to know if it will be appropriate for you.
#8. It improves your abdominal workouts
Many crave for flat tummy, one that is lean and not too noticeable. No wonder, this is often featured in most workout routines. The benefit of ankle weight spans beyond losing weight; you can also explore this tool for the abdominal workout. With the ankle weight fastened already, you can start workout routines like knee-to-chest movement, bicycle exercise, or other forms of abdominal lifts routines.
These are normal movements you must have tried several times, but with extra weight, more muscles are engaged in the exercise, and it further helps with the contraction of your muscles, and this affects your posture overall.
#9. It improves your water exercise
Many who enjoy swimming can also explore the unmatched ankle weight benefits. Water exercise is both fun and effective for improving strength, stability, and balance; adding ankle weight makes the exercise more enjoyable. When you wear the ankle weight, you start to engage all your cardiovascular muscles and improve their strength while swimming.
While swimming, you are expected to paddle your leg, the force of the water requires you to paddle more, but adding the weight of the ankle weight will increase the amount of force you are putting in to move. As such, you burn more calories, and your muscles become more strengthened.
#10. They are relatively cheap
Compared to other workout and exercise equipment, ankle weight is one of the most affordable options you will come across. When compared to the dumbbell, it cost twice or more the cost of an ankle weight. And since it comes in pairs, you save more while engaging both feet during exercise.
You can easily add this to your simple routine of running, jogging, or walking, without having to pay more.
Read: Best Fitness Tracker For Ankle
Conclusion
Having considered the ten amazing ankle weight benefits, I am confident you would have understood why many use this equipment. Yet, you can only enjoy the benefit of ankle weight when you wear them the right way. As you have seen, they are very useful for toning, not just the leg, but your body overall.
While it is best to use them when working out, and when engaging in other activities, you should try not to use the ankle weight too much. Excessive use can lead to severe injury, as with other exercise equipment, moderation is important.
You can start small and increase the weight over time. This will help you monitor your improvement and make the workout more enjoyable. These benefits will significantly improve how you enjoy your exercise, even the routines that are becoming boring and less effective.