Will I burn more calories if I walk with ankle weights?

Author: Antonetta Blanda  |  Last update: Thursday, November 20, 2025

Recently however, studies reported in the Physician & Sports Medicine demonstrated that adding 5 pound weights to each ankle increased caloric burn by 25 percent. Furthermore, individuals who wore ankle weights during their daily activities expended additional calories.

Is walking with ankle weights effective?

Benefits. 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.

Will walking with ankle weights tone my thighs?

Leg Muscle Strengthening: Ankle weights can help target and tone specific leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. This can lead to increased lower body strength.

Does weighted walking burn more calories?

In fact, adding even a small amount of extra weight can kick your heart rate and oxygen consumption up a notch, resulting in a higher calorie burn compared to walking without the added resistance, she says. Not only will this challenge your cardiovascular system, but it helps support fat loss over time.

How much do ankle weights increase the energy expenditure of walking?

The net rate of EE (kcal/min) during a moderate walking exercise was significantly increased with additional weights on the ankle (5.93±0.56kcal/min), compared to no weights added (4.95±0.49kcal/min) and additional weights on the wrist (5.41±0.59kcal/min).

Walking for Fat Loss

Do ankle weights help burn calories when walking?

Wearing ankle weights while walking or working out can have a big impact on your fitness routine. Benefits include improved balance, more burned calories, and the ability to build muscle quicker. They can also help freshen up any existing workout routine by adding more versatility and complexity.

Will walking with weights tone arms?

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.

Has anyone lost weight walking 10,000 steps a day?

After a family trip made me realise how much my weight was holding me back, I started following a low-carb diet, weighing my food with a scale, and walking at least 10,000 steps a day. I've now lost 80 pounds (5 stone and 10lbs, or 36kg) in under 11 months. I have been overweight most of my life.

How to reduce belly fat in 7 days?

To lose belly fat in one week, you can initiate lifestyle changes like running for 30 minutes every day and maintaining a diet that is low in calories, fat and sugar. Exercise and diet can prevent further fat accumulation in the body and can trigger fat burning, especially in the belly.

What is the downside of ankle weights?

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.

What happens if I wear ankle weights all day?

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.

How do I tone my thighs when walking?

High-step it. Salt in a little high-knee action to your walk for an extra dose of thigh burn. "Simply lift your knees as high as you can with every step forward," says fitness expert Dempsey Marks, co-creator of the PreGame Fit fitness/lifestyle program. "Try to get your knee in line with your hip.

Does walking with ankle weights help bone density?

Some studies suggest that working out with weights, such as walking with weights, can help people improve bone mass density and reduce the risk of fractures. To strengthen both muscles and bone, there needs to be some resistance.

Is it good to wear a weighted vest while walking?

One of the most significant benefits of wearing a weighted vest during your walks is the increase in calorie burn. The extra weight forces your body to work harder, leading to more calories being expended.

What is ruck walking?

Rucking is the action of walking with weight on your back.

Walking with a weighted rucksack (aka backpack) is a low impact exercise based on military training workouts. Hiking is rucking in the mountains and urban hiking is simply called rucking.

What burns the most belly fat?

Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.

How to lose a hanging belly?

8 Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life
  1. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ...
  2. Think eating plan, not diet. ...
  3. Keep moving. ...
  4. Lift weights. ...
  5. Become a label reader. ...
  6. Move away from processed foods. ...
  7. Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale. ...
  8. Hang out with health-focused friends.

Why am I not losing weight despite walking 10000 steps a day?

Regular walking provides several health benefits, but certain factors may inhibit weight loss. These include a slow pace, insufficient duration, health conditions, high stress, lack of sleep, medication side effects, and high-calorie diets.

How to burn 1000 calories in a day?

Running, cycling, swimming, and rowing are all great options for hitting your calorie burn target.
  1. Running: To burn 1000 calories in a day, a 75 kg person running at 10 km/h can burn around 600 calories in an hour. ...
  2. Cycling: Biking at 18-20 km/h can help you burn 600-800 calories in an hour.

Is walking with ankle weights good?

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.

Does walking reduce flabby arms?

Including aerobic exercise in your routine aids in burning calories and promotes the loss of body fat overall, including that of the arms. Exercises like jogging, cycling, jumping rope, and brisk walking can be beneficial.

What size weight to tone arms for a female?

I recommend starting with 5-pound weights. Halfway through the month, do a check-in with your body to see if they feel too light. If so, you can move up to 7.5- or 8-pound weights. If you notice you are building muscle too quickly, or bulking instead of toning, I recommend staying lighter with your weights.

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