12 Best Ankle Weights to Intensify Your Workouts, Accordi...

What’s Happening

Okay so Shop expert-approved ankle weights to rev your cardio, tone those glutes, and strengthen your core.

Kaitlyn Phoenix is a deputy editor in the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman’s Day. She has more than 10 years of experience talking to top medical professionals and poring over studies to figure out the science of how our bodies work. (we’re not making this up)

Beyond that, Kaitlyn turns what she learns into engaging and easy-to-read stories about medical conditions, nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health.

The Details

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One thing is certain: Ankle weights are a genius addition to any workout routine. They can help you take your gym adventure to the next level, and even better: They’re relatively inexpensive, effortless to use, and take up little space in your home storage or gym bag.

Why This Matters

“They allow you to easily add resistance to any bodyweight exercise that involves lifting your leg,” says Michael Matthews, C. , author of Bigger Leaner Stronger. The action ultimately translates to more calorie burning and muscle toning, he adds.

Medical professionals are taking note of this development.

Key Takeaways

• Meet the the experts: Michael Matthews, C.
• , author of Bigger Leaner Stronger; Cori Lefkowith, N.

The Bottom Line

; celebrity fitness trainer Ridge Davis; Elaine Studdert, an ACE-certified trainer based in Westchester, NY; Gail Hart, pilates instructor and personal trainer at Life Time; et al. Even light ankle weights (most of which can also be used as wrist weights) make a huge difference because they “change how the load is distributed during movement,” explains Cori Lefkowith, N.

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