Smith tells us, "Ankle weights are great for adding a little extra load to your muscles so they have to work a little harder in each exercise without compromising your form or range of motion. This will ultimately work your muscles more intensely and effectively to get those long, lean thigh muscles you are seeking."
In fact, many people believe that wearing ankle weights can help you lose weight because it increases resistance and burns more calories. However, the truth is: wearing ankle weights cannot make a significant difference in your weight loss goals and should not be relied on as your sole source of exercise.
I work out from home and I use ankle weights and dumbbells. Ankle weights have definitely helped shape and tone my legs, especially my inner and outer thighs. I also love using ankle weights for the booty by doing donkey kicks. I follow workout videos on YouTube and I have seen a big difference in my legs and my butt.
But Downey warns that it's not a good idea to use wearable ankle weights while you're walking or during an aerobics workout, because they force you to use your quadriceps (the muscles in the fronts of the thighs) and not your hamstrings (in the backs of the thighs). "That causes a muscle imbalance," Downey says.
To slim down your thighs, focus on a combination of strength training and cardio. Exercises like squats, lunges, leg presses, and step-ups help tone and shape the thigh muscles. Cardio workouts such as running, cycling, and stair climbing burn fat, contributing to overall weight loss.
Exercising while wearing 1 pound to 3 pound ankle weights may raise your heart rate by about three to five beats per minute. It may also boost your oxygen consumption by 5% to 10%. Wearing ankle weights while walking may also make your gluteus medius muscle work harder.
Ankle weight workouts can strengthen most of the muscles in your lower body, including the following: Core, such as the abs and lower back muscles. Gluteal muscles of the hips and butt. Hip flexors along the front of the hips and upper leg.
Wrist weights will not tone your arms. Fitness trends on TikTok and Instagram promise fast health results, but they often deliver more risks than benefits. Take one of this year's popular exercise myths: You can tone your arms with the help of wearable wrist weights.
Yes, flabby inner thighs can be toned with targeted exercises. Strength training exercises like squats, lunges, and leg presses can help tone and tighten the muscles in the inner thigh area, giving them a more sculpted look.
Wearing wrist or ankle weights constantly for weeks can end up doing more harm than good. Start in low doses by wearing them for 15, 20 or 30 minutes at a time and build up from there. Incorporating extra weight during exercise requires your body to exert more.
Squats, deadlifts, and other exercises that target the legs can specifically strengthen and tone the thighs. For some people, losing weight may also help boost muscle definition. Various types of exercise, from weight training to running and biking, can improve the strength and endurance of the legs.
It is impossible to reduce fat in just one area, but lowering body weight, in general, can reduce fat in the legs. Overall, the best strategy combines strength training, aerobic exercise, dietary changes, and other adjustments to support a healthy lifestyle.
Lower your body fat.
Evidence is limited on this front, but in the Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, participants who wore ankle weights three days a week for at least 20 mins showed 'significant improvements' in their waist circumference, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle percentage.
Adding a weighted vest to your walking routine has many benefits. A weighted vest works the leg, ankle, and core muscles. A vest can also build bone density, increase muscle mass, burn more calories than walking alone, and improve balance and core strength. A weighted vest can also help you lose weight.
Wearing ankle weights can help you burn more calories and help you lose weight. This can be advantageous, especially if you're doing aerobic exercises to lose weight. Even when you perform the same cardio exercises, using ankle weights can mix things up and aid calorie-burning.
She adds that by physically placing a weight on your ankle, you may also deepen your mind-body connection, "drawing your mind to the actual muscle groups being worked." "This can help you tone and strengthen not only your legs and glutes but secondary muscles like your core," she says.
Wearing ankle weights while walking can lead to increased internal joint effort and energy at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. This means that the forces and power generated by these joints during movement are enhanced.
The added weight increases the demand on your body, placing continuous stress on joints, muscles, and connective tissues. This can be particularly taxing on the knees, hips, and spine, which bear the brunt of the additional load during daily activities.
Calories Burned
A 140-pound woman wearing 5-pound ankle weights will burn around 38 calories in 10 minutes while walking briskly. A 165-pound individual without ankle weights will burn 43 calories, and wearing 5-pound weights will burn 45 calories, according to ACE Fitness.
In many cases, exercise and over-the-counter creams can have a significant effect on reducing the appearance of loose, sagging skin on the thighs. However, in severe cases, a thigh lift is often necessary to achieve your desired results.