Bad Effects of Leg Weights
Most of us have seen people diligently walking, jogging or running with weights strapped to their ankles. There's no question that person is increasing the difficulty of his workout, but it's likely he also is heading for an injury. These 1- to 5-pound weights that strap on with Velcro or buckles should be used during aerobic activity only under the most strict cautionary procedures--if at all. Let's see why it's best to use ankle weights to boost resistance during more stationary exercises--lunges, calf raises and leg lifts--instead of during aerobic activity.
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Gait
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The movement of taking a step engages the whole body, but the bulk of the movement focuses on the body below the waist. We all have a standard gait, and we perform our stride many times each day without much thought. Adding ankle weights upsets that regular cadence of our walking, running or jogging. The increased weight requires us to push off with the ball of our foot differently, the distance between the foot and the ground is likely to be diminished with the addition of leg weights, the stride is likely to be shortened and the foot's landing will be altered. All of these changes are an invitation to injury.
Joint, Ligament and Tendon Strain
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The legs and feet have many tendons, ligaments and joints that help us move freely through our regular daily activities and exercise. When we add leg weights, we put additional strain on the joints, ligaments and tendons. Consider the foot. Adding a 2-pound weight to the ankle makes the foot's landing heavier, requiring the tendons and the ligaments to strain more to absorb the impact. Strain is similarly added to the ligaments and tendons for each body part involved in taking a step. Tearing or straining a ligament results in many days, often weeks, of recovery time.
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Knee Injuries
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Adding ankle weights also causes our knees to absorb the added weight of each step. Think about how our knees function as we take even a few steps across a room. The knee is the fulcrum as our foot (and our ankle weight) is pulled through the range of motion for every step. Our knees also absorbs much of the impact on landing. Adding weight to on the bottom end our legs creates strain on our knees with every step.
To Be Safe, Go Slow
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If you want to try using leg weights with aerobic exercise, begin gradually and build extremely slowly. Start with a light weight, no more than 1/2 pound on each ankle, and walk or run slower than your normal pace. Gradually increase your speed as you adjust to the additional weight. Increase the weight gradually, too. In fact, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recommends never using weights that are more than 1 pound during aerobic exercise (see Resources below). Don't forget: When you increase the weight, decrease your speed and build up again.
Boost Your Workouts Without Weights
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Given the risk of injury, it's best to save those ankle weights for stationary exercises, such as leg lifts and leg extensions. For aerobic exercise, increase your speed instead during walking, running or jogging. You also can add some distance or time to your workout. According to Internet Fitness, the benefits from leg weights are negligible anyway, and when weighed against the injury risk associated with adding leg weights to a fitness routine, you probably can't be too cautious.
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