Hey Yo Matt: Ankle Weights

Hey Yo Matt:

What do you think about wearing ankle weights for daily activities?

I think you need to train harder.

I honestly think that you’re not going to get any sort of a benefit out of it. It’ll probably significantly mess up your normal walking gait and could lead to some long term overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis and shin splints. I wouldn’t freak out and call exercise poison control if I saw someone wearing them, but I don’t think it would be that good for overall joint health and stability.

I also don’t think it would have any benefit. It would make regular activities more difficult and maybe up the workload of going to the bathroom, but I don’t think there would be any tangible benefit from it.

Its like thinking that the guy who walks up to the first floor instead of taking the elevator is going to be fitter then the guy who takes the elevator up to the fifth floor. Maybe, slightly. If its the only exercise either of the two them ever get.

In my opinion, its a waste of money. If you want up your low level activity throughout the day, fill a backpack or your brief case with a weight plate and carry that around.

2 pound on each ankle is negligible. Well, negligible except to your foot health