My exercise regimen has changed drastically over the last 15 years. A self-confessed cardio queen in my 20s and 30s, I alternated days at the gym with dance and Hiit classes and endured long bouts on the full complement of cardio equipment. And then my body caught up with me. First it was bursitis in my knee, which my doctor called “burpee-itis” from the ridiculous amount of the exercises I was performing. “You have to listen to your body,” he lightly chided as he poked at my swollen kneecap. Once my lower back started to complain, I had to start making serious concessions.
Thankfully, finding new ways to stay in shape was not as hard as I thought. A quick pivot led me to strength training, barre and pilates classes, and lots and lots of walking. My knee was still keeping me from doing a ton of basic leg work including squats and lunges, so ankle weights seemed like an easy solution. After doing some research on what would fit my specific needs, I decided on Sportneer ankle weights and used them daily for a week to see if they could enhance my lower body workouts.
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Sportneer Ankle Weights
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Why ankle weights?
I specifically chose ankle weights to isolate my legs because I know it is important to build muscle in perimenopause. As a city dweller, I do my grocery shopping by foot, constantly hauling at least two large bags back from the local Trader Joe’s at least three times a week for my family of four. I call this “instant rucking” but wanted something to add a dimension to my lower body muscle management.
Admittedly, when I opted for ankle weights over the also-popular weighted vests, I was thinking more about sculpting my leg muscles rather than how building muscle could help my body in general. Dr Bob Baravarian, a podiatric foot and ankle specialist and the chief of podiatric foot and ankle surgery at Providence Saint John’s health center in Santa Monica, reminded me that keeping the tendons and muscles strong as we get older will help with balance, and that falls tend to occur more often if our balance is off.
“Ankle weights increase the muscle strain and muscle use during walking and even exercises at the gym. This keeps good muscle tone, which then reduces strain on the joints and also helps with balance and strength,” Baravarian said.
How I chose the right pair of weights for me
For me, the key was finding a pair with adjustable weights that was comfortable enough against bare skin. I originally opted for the popular Bala Bangles, which start at $55 and run $79 for the 3lb (1kg) option. Though they look chic and come in an array of pretty pastel colors, the smooth, hard weights banged against my ankle bones when I walked. After some research, I finally landed on Sportneer’s Adjustable Ankle Weights, mainly because they can be easily adjusted for heavier weights and happen to be half the price of the Bala Bangles.
Sportneer offers two pairs with different weight options, 2-7lbs and 2-10lbs. I chose the lighter of the two. For my purposes, I didn’t see the need to go heavier than 7lbs, but also because the straps are 11in (28cm) and would fit my ankles better. (The heavier set’s straps are approximately 12.5in. Folks with larger legs may want to consider going bigger.)
I also made sure to listen to the experts before I got started, to make sure I wasn’t just adding weight, but exercising at a sufficient intensity. “A useful guideline is to aim for a moderate intensity effort, or about a five out of 10 on a perceived exertion scale (ie how hard am I working?), where the activity feels challenging but still manageable,” said Stephanie Silveira, PhD, director of the Community Health Rehabilitation Research Lab at UTHealth Houston. “While ankle weights are not a substitute for a comprehensive strength-training program, they can be an effective progression for individuals looking to make their current exercise routine more challenging.”
My week with the ankle weights
The ankle weights come with five removable mini sandbags encased in individual pockets of stretchy neoprene, the same synthetic material used in wetsuits. Each sandbag weighs 0.6lbs (the 10lb option offers 1lb increments), allowing you to adjust them from 1 to 3.5lbs. They lay underneath a Velcro strap, which you hook through a loop and wrap around to close. I had no problem fitting it precisely around my ankle and appreciated how easy it was to adjust if I wore thicker socks or pants. (Instructions come in the box, but everything felt self-explanatory to me.)
To test, I did three different activities, repeated over the course of the week. I began Monday with a 3-mile walk around my Brooklyn neighborhood. Before I left the house, I removed one sandbag by opening the flap and easing it out of its snug pocket, leaving me with 2.9lbs per ankle. This felt like the perfect weight for a brisk, longer walk and they rested comfortably against my skin. Unlike the Bala Bangles, it never felt like they were moving around when I walked. The material didn’t bother my bare skin and they didn’t overheat while I walked either, which is something I was worried about. When I took them off, my legs felt super light, which felt like a sign that I was doing something to help kickstart my muscles. The next morning, my quads and hamstrings were slightly sore, like I had done a few extra sets of lunges.
Before my knee injury, I took weekly adult ballet classes and I miss them dearly. Barre class has been a decent substitute for the physical part, though I still mourn the dance. But it also turns out to be a good opportunity to test these weights. On Tuesday, I strapped them back on for a 45-minute class with Ally Love, my favorite instructor, who teaches via the Peloton app. She encourages you to use ankle weights for some of the movements, so I was excited to give it a try. Because I knew the exercises would be more targeted, I replaced the sandbags I had taken out from the walk, which was a little trickier to wiggle back in but certainly not a dealbreaker. The addition of the ankle weights during the repetitive movements including fire hydrants, side lying leg lifts and clamshells made the exercises feel more demanding without feeling uncomfortable.
The third day, I removed one sandbag per weight and strapped them on to walk uphill on my gym’s treadmill for 30 minutes. I started slow, with a pace of 3mph and an incline of 5%, then built up from there, ending at 3.5mph and a 7% incline. Just this small change made the walk harder, and I don’t think I could go higher than that. This was the toughest yet, but felt appropriately challenging rather than too strenuous.
I started my pattern again on Thursday with a different route for my walk, switched to a pilates class on Friday and did a 45-minute uphill treadmill climb on Saturday. On Sunday I decided instead to wear them all day, around the house and to small outings with my family. This included a walk to the farmer’s market, some vacuuming and tidying, and I even kept them on to prepare meals.
Are ankle weights worth it?
After an entire week of vigorous use, from walking to gym classes, I can honestly say I felt a difference in my legs. My hamstrings felt like I had done deadlifts, my quads mimicked the soreness after a spinning class and my glutes felt like I had climbed a few flights of stairs. Plus, I felt encouraged that if I used them regularly I could build muscle and maintain bone density without further injury.
But I also made sure to be smart. Adjusting the load on each weight was simple, I could easily remove a sandbag if the uphill climb was starting to tweak my knee, or if too many leg lifts were giving my lower back a twinge. This test reinforced the one thing I’ve learned throughout my life, after years of sports, exercise and dance: when your body talks, you listen.
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