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By Deb Simpson, NASM Certified Personal Trainer — Deb coaches women over 40 who are building strength from the ground up.
- 1. Are Ankle Weights Bad For You?
- 1a. Should I Use Ankle Weights for Walking?
- 2. What Exercises Can You Safely Do With Ankle Weights?
- 2a. Ankle Weight Exercises for Glutes
- 2b. Ankle Weight Exercises for Core
- 3. Adjustable Ankle Weights vs. Fixed Weight Ankle Weights
- 3a. Fixed-Weight Ankle Weights
- 3b. Adjustable Weight Ankle Weights
- 4. How to Choose the Best Ankle Weights for Beginners
- 5. What Size Ankle Weights Should You Get?
- 6. The Best Ankle Weights for Beginners, by Weight
- 6a. 1 lb Ankle Weights
- 6b. 2 lb Ankle Weights
- 6c. 5 lb Ankle Weights
- 6d. 10 lb Ankle Weights
- 7. Which Ankle Weights Are Right for You?
- 8. Frequently Asked Questions
- 9. Keep Exploring
Ankle weights are one of those pieces of gym equipment that you don’t know you need until you have a use case. In my past days as a runner, I learned about them from a physical therapist who helped me strengthen one of my glute muscles. Recently, I’ve been seeing them more frequently — not to rehab an injury, but instead walking around my neighborhood or on the treadmill at the gym. As a curious sort, I decided to do the research on ankle weights to evaluate their use cases, what type are available to consumers, and how to choose the best ankle weights for your needs.
Are Ankle Weights Bad For You?
As a coach, I usually get three responses from my clients when I break out the ankle weights:
- Are we doing aerobics?
- I heard those aren’t safe for my knees.
- I thought those were only for rehab.
None of those client responses are out of line or unexpected. And to answer them, I find myself educating. Sometimes it’s about how the gait cycle works and why walking distances or doing aerobics with ankle weights is a pretty risky way to burn more calories. Sometimes it’s about what other exercises can be done with ankle weights to help strengthen the knees, and sometimes it’s about what type of ankle weight should be used and for what.
So: are ankle weights bad for you? Like most things, not inherently. They’re bad for some things and good for others, and almost everyone I see wearing them lately is using them exactly the way they’re marketed — which happens to be the one thing they’re worst at.
Should I Use Ankle Weights for Walking?
Ankle weights are frequently advertised as a way to increase the intensity of walking, without having to walk faster or longer. And the assertion is accurate: walking with ankle weights does increase intensity. You’ll find studies showing modest benefits too — but they’re conducted on young, already-active, uninjured populations, which isn’t the starting point for most beginners. The cost that matters for the rest of us is muscle imbalances and pulling on the ankle joint, which can increase the risk of injuries throughout the kinetic chain. In fact, my review of 15 ankle weight listings found that 13 advertised them as a walking accessory.
And despite all of that marketing, when one of my beginner clients asks me if they should walk in them, my answer is no.
This is because when you add weight at the ankle, it becomes more efficient for your body to use your quad muscles instead of your posterior chain. Conversely, in normal walking, you drive with your hamstrings and glutes, not your quads. So, by adding ankle weights and changing the muscles’ leverages, you wind up doing a disservice to the very muscles you thought you were working.
If you want to safely ramp up walking intensity using weights, my recommendation to beginners is skip the ankle weights and use a weighted vest instead. These vests allow you to add weight in small increments to increase the resistance. Unlike leg weights that concentrate the weight on a single joint, a weighted vest distributes the load across your core. You can also take a look at this structured 6-Week Beginner Walking Plan, which safely ramps you up to walking 5 days per week, for a total of 150 minutes of weekly activity. Using a structured plan and a weighted vest as a tool to add intensity beats a possible injury from wearing ankle weights in an unsafe way.
What Exercises Can You Safely Do With Ankle Weights?
Since walking with ankle weights poses more risk to our ankles, knees, back, and hips than most beginner women over 40 are willing to take on, you may be wondering what the case for ankle weights is.
Dumbbells and a bench are standard equipment for most people working out from home. Some people have the space for a piece of cardio equipment and possibly a squat rack, but very few have specialized equipment designed to target specific muscle groups. For beginners, ankle weights help solve this problem by isolating muscles that need light, precise resistance, without having to invest in a cable column or functional trainer.
The majority of exercises that can safely be done with ankle weights by beginners are glute, hip, and core movements. They all work the same way: the weight sits at the end of your leg, far from the joint that’s doing the work, so a small amount of load creates a large demand on the target muscle. This same principle is also why ankle weights worn while walking can cause injuries — that leverage at the ankles multiplies stress on the knees, hips, and back over the course of thousands of steps, which is not intensity most beginners are ready to handle.
A few ankle weight exercises stand out as safe starting points for beginners. Each one listed in the table below works muscles that are difficult to load using a dumbbell. Adding these ankle weight exercises into your workout routine can help you strengthen the areas that tend to get missed in a world filled with seats and screens: glutes and deep core.
| Exercise | Where the Load Is | Muscle |
|---|---|---|
| Side-lying leg raise | Outside of the hip, as the leg lifts away from the body | Glute med |
| Fire hydrant | Outside and deep in the hip, as leg lifts with bent knee | Glute med |
| Donkey kick | Back of the hip, as leg presses upward with bent knee | Glute max |
| Dead bug | Low belly, as arm and leg extend while low back held flat | Deep core |
| Bird dog | Low belly, as arm and leg extend while trunk held still | Deep core |
Ankle Weight Exercises for Glutes
Your glute medius sits on the outside of your hip, and its job is keeping your pelvis level when you’re standing on one leg. Since walking, climbing stairs, running, and jumping all require you to stand on one leg as you move, this muscle gets called on each time to keep you level and balanced.
When the glute medius is weak, other muscles compensate for it and your knee tends to drift inward. You may have noticed your knees caving toward each other at the bottom of a squat, or one knee tracking inward when you take a step up a stair. That’s usually not a knee problem; it’s a hip muscle strength problem showing up at the knee, and one that many beginners can correct using ankle weights.
Your glute max is the largest muscle in your body, and its job is to extend your hip. Every time you stand up from a chair, push off a stair, or get up off the floor, your glute max is asked to work. When the glute max is weak, your hamstrings and lower back pick up the extra work. If your low back feels tight after a long walk you may want to target your glute max for strengthening.
Side-lying Leg Raise with Ankle Weights
Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your body in a straight line, one hip directly over the other. Lift your top leg toward the ceiling, then lower it slowly. Keeping the working leg slightly behind the resting leg will help you learn how to target the glute medius.
Weighted Fire Hydrant
Get on all fours in a quadruped position, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your knee bent at a right angle and lift it out to the side, then lower it under control.
You should feel all of the glute medius exercises on the outside of your hip, right about where the outside seam of a hip pocket would sit on a pair of fitted jeans. If you feel it in the front of your thigh instead, a different muscle has taken over; reset and try again.
Weighted Donkey Kick
Get on all fours in a quadruped position, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your knee bent at a right angle and press your heel toward the ceiling, then lower under control. Stop lifting when your thigh reaches hip height or when you start to arch your back; once your back takes over, your glute stops working.
You should feel this exercise in the full part of your glute, not in your hamstring or low back. If you feel it in your lower back, you’re probably arching to get there. If you feel it mostly in the back of your thigh, reset and make sure your knee stays bent as you drive your heel up toward the ceiling.
Ankle Weight Exercises for Core
The other muscle group that benefits from exercises with ankle weights is the core. Most people think of the core as the visible abs — the mythical 6-pack that we hear so much about. But that’s just the most visible layer of a muscle system that does everything from helping you brace when you blow your nose, to keeping you sitting upright in a chair.
The deeper core muscles are hard to load; you can’t use a dumbbell to work them directly. What you can do is put weight at the end of a limb and let that act as a weight multiplier. That forces your deep core muscles to work harder to stabilize your spine throughout the movement, perfect for beginners using ankle weights.
Weighted Dead Bug
Lie on your back with your arms straight up over your shoulders and your knees bent over your hips. Press your low back flat into the floor and keep it there. Simultaneously lower one arm and the opposite leg toward the floor, stopping before your back lifts. Return to the starting position and switch sides.
Weighted Bird Dog
Get on all fours in a quadruped position, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Simultaneously extend one arm and the opposite leg so that both are straight. Hold, then return under control and switch sides. Your hips should stay square to the floor the whole time.
You should feel both of these low in your belly, below your navel and deep. If your low back arches off the floor during a dead bug, or your hips rock side to side during a bird dog, you’ve gone past what you can control — shorten the range or drop the weight.
The best ankle weights for beginners give you a safe way to load the glutes and deep core without the joint stress that comes from walking in ankle weights. As you progress through these 5 exercises, you’ll add heavier weight to keep challenging your glute and core muscles. That progression raises a practical question: should you buy a set of ankle weights you can adjust as you get stronger, or a fixed pair sized for where you are now?
Adjustable Ankle Weights vs. Fixed Weight Ankle Weights
Ankle weights come in two primary varieties: fixed-weight and adjustable. Both have their place in a beginner’s home gym, but they suit different buyers — adjustable lets you add weight as you need to, fixed-weight has nothing to adjust or lose track of, at the expense of a new purchase when you need to add weight.
Fixed-Weight Ankle Weights
A fixed-weight ankle weight is the most basic of the two versions: a single, static weight per cuff, either sewn into a fabric shell or sealed inside silicone. The downside is that each time you need to add weight, you buy the next size up. Fixed-weight tends to be the best option for beginners rehabbing an injury, people who start and stop training frequently, or those who are buy-it-for-life consumers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Nothing to remove, misplace, or wrestle back in | Progressing means buying the next weight up |
| No pockets or flaps that wear out with use | No way to fine-tune weight within a session |
| Sealed fill won’t leak or lose weight over time | Different exercises may need different loads |
Adjustable Weight Ankle Weights
Adjustable ankle weights let you change the resistance on a single pair as you progress from workout to workout. Removable weights — plates in the better designs, sand or shot bags in the cheaper ones — slide in or out of the cuff to change the load. Increment size varies more than the listings suggest: some adjust in 1-pound steps, and the two adjustable picks on this page move in much smaller ones, which matters for the muscles that fatigue fastest.
For most beginners, adjustable makes sense. You increase resistance over time without buying a second set, and you can make the jump in a size that matches how much stronger you actually got.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One purchase covers a weight range | Sandbag fill can leak and quietly lose weight |
| Able to change load between exercises | Sandbags have to be squeezed back into place |
| Useful when you don’t know your starting weight | Removable weights can be lost |
How to Choose the Best Ankle Weights for Beginners
Two failure points knock out most of the ankle weights available to beginners.
Fill. There are some downsides I’ve personally experienced with adjustable ankle weights: leaking weight bags and weight adjustments that take longer than they should. Both problems are common in designs that use sand- or shot-filled bags, which is why every adjustable pick on this page uses steel plates instead — nothing to leak, nothing to massage back into place. The fixed-weight picks sidestep the problem a different way: their fill is sealed in permanently, so there’s no seam for it to escape from.
Closure. Most of the heavier ankle weights I reviewed had velcro closures, and I’ve experienced my own failures with those products. A single velcro strap that holds an ankle weight on fine at 1 lb is going to have a marginal grip at 5 pounds. Once the cuff carries real load, the closure is what determines whether the weight stays where it belongs or the velcro breaks mid-set.
One more thing to watch: In reviewing ankle weight listings, I found I needed to verify whether the weight shown on the listing is per cuff or per pair. A set advertised as 10 pounds is usually 5 pounds on each ankle, not a set of two ankle weights that each weigh 10 pounds, for a total of 20 pounds. The other thing to check when buying ankle weights is whether you’re ordering a single ankle weight or a pair. Some manufacturers sell singles and show a pair of ankle weights on their listing, so confirming that the listing matches the image can save you some time and frustration.
What Size Ankle Weights Should You Get?
Ankle weights are offered in a range of sizes, and most beginners should begin using ankle weights for core and glute exercises within the 1-2 pound weight range. The exact weight you’ll need depends on which muscle you’re loading. Small stabilizers fatigue fast; the larger muscles take more weight and reps.
| Exercise | Muscle | Start at | Progress toward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side-lying leg raise | Glute med | 1 lb | 2 lb |
| Fire hydrant | Glute med | 1 lb | 2 lb |
| Donkey kick | Glute max | 1–2 lb | 5 lb |
| Dead bug | Deep core | 1 lb | 2 lb |
| Bird dog | Deep core | 1 lb | 2 lb |
Every number in that table is per cuff, not per pair. These are starting points for healthy beginners. If you’re working around a knee, hip, or ankle issue, check with your doctor before adding load to that joint.
The Best Ankle Weights for Beginners, by Weight
Our analysis netted 6 sets of ankle weights that will help any beginner progress, broken out by the weight of each cuff: 1, 2, 5, and 10 pound ankle weights. If a product is adjustable, it appears at each weight it can reach, not just its maximum.
| Product | Type | Range (per cuff) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bala (1 lb) | Fixed | 1 lb | Beginners who want a low-profile cuff in a 1 lb weight |
| Bala (2 lb) | Fixed | 2 lb | Beginners who want a low-profile cuff in a 2 lb weight |
| TheraBand | Fixed | 1 lb | Beginners who buy for life or only need a single weight |
| Hollylinka | Adjustable | 2 oz – 1 lb | Beginners who need the lightest adjustment available |
| Eleamy | Adjustable | 0.5 – 7.5 lb | Beginners who want one set that covers 1, 2, and 5 lb |
| Kurla | Fixed | 10 lb | Intermediate/advanced users who are looking for a challenge |
1 lb Ankle Weights
1 lb ankle weights are the perfect starting place for most beginners — enough weight to feel it in the workout, not enough to still feel it when you wake up the next day. The frontrunners at 1 lb split into two camps: fixed and adjustable ankle weights.
Best ankle weights with a slim profile
Bala uses a steel core wrapped in silicone. That construction is the whole argument: there’s no bag, no fill, and no seam, so there’s no sand or shot that can leak from these. They’re also the slimmest ankle weight here, which matters for petite users.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- Fixed-weight steel core in a silicone shell — sealed, nothing to leak
- Slim profile — does not restrict range of motion on floor exercises
This is the pick if you want one simple pair of ankle weights and most of your work is on the floor. You’ll have to upgrade when you need to add weight, which is a definite tradeoff.
Best ankle weights with a clinical track record
TheraBand has been in clinical rehab settings for decades, and these carry that track record. To make one of the most comfortable ankle weights I’ve ever owned, TheraBand stitches the fill into a neoprene cuff with a terrycloth lining. The terrycloth interior absorbs moisture and the strap holds its position. Nothing complex, nothing that wears out quickly.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- Neoprene cuff with moisture-absorbing terrycloth lining
- Fill sealed in permanently — no removable bags to lose or leak
- Adjustable strap — secure fit on ankle or wrist
The limitation is straightforward: these don’t adjust. When you’re ready for more resistance, you buy the next weight level in the TheraBand series separately, which is worth it if you’re a buy-it-for-life consumer.
Best ankle weights for small increases
The Hollylinka adjustable ankle weights offer the most precise level of adjustment of any of the products I reviewed: each removable weight segment weighs around 2 ounces, which matters for the small muscles that fatigue fast, like the glute medius. The tradeoff is range — these top out at 1 lb per cuff, so they’re a starting set rather than one you’ll grow into. For anyone who needs to start as lightly as possible, Hollylinka offers the best solution.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- 2 oz per removable segment — the finest increment I found
- Allows a beginner to start where they are
This is the pick if you are starting from genuinely low strength and need to progress in small steps.
Best ankle weights for range and closure
Eleamy’s system of weight adjustment is a bit different — these adjustable ankle weights range from 0.5 lb, the weight of the empty cuff, up to 7.5 lb, using 16 removable steel plates (0.44 lb each), making these ankle weights some of the easiest to adjust.
The closure on these adjustable ankle weights is reinforced double metal D-rings with wide one-piece velcro, making Eleamy the only brand here with a double closure. That is the detail that earns it a place at every weight on this page. At 1 lb a single velcro strap is adequate; at 5 lb it’s the part that fails.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- 16 removable steel plates at 0.44 lb each — 0.5 to 7.5 lb per cuff
- The only double closure of the products reviewed
- Plate system makes switching weights between exercises far easier than models with bags
The best single purchase on this page. It covers 1, 2, and 5 lb without a second buy, and it is the only pick that clears both the fill and the closure criteria outright.
| Brand | Type | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Bala | Fixed | Check Price |
| TheraBand | Fixed | Check Price |
| Hollylinka | Adjustable | Check Price |
| Eleamy | Adjustable | Check Price |
2 lb Ankle Weights
Beginners have a secret weapon when it comes to strength training — as they start working out consistently, their neuromuscular system rapidly adapts and begins recruiting more existing muscle fibers, even before their body starts building new muscle. That means that beginners are typically able to add weight quicker than those who have been working out for a while.
That makes the jump from 1 to 2 pound ankle weights a quick move for some beginners. In the 2 pound ankle weight category, Bala offers a set of fixed-weight ankle weights at 2 pounds per cuff. The Eleamy offering is the same product from the 1 lb section; its 16 steel plates cover 0.5 to 7.5 lb per cuff, so 2 lb is a plate adjustment rather than a second purchase.
At this weight the choice is simple: Bala if you already own the 1 lb pair and want a matching step up, Eleamy if you’d rather not buy twice.
| Brand | Type | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Bala | Fixed | Check Price |
| Eleamy | Adjustable | Check Price |
5 lb Ankle Weights
5 pound ankle weights can be beneficial for progressing exercises like donkey kicks and also provide enough weight to add prone hamstring curls, walking lunges, and glute kickbacks once you’re ready for a challenge. Most of the heavier ankle weights I reviewed used sandbags or had velcro closures, and both have failed on me at heavier weights. The 5 pound ankle weight, offered by Eleamy, takes both of those failure points into account by using steel plates so there’s nothing to leak and a double closure to keep the weight secure.
| Brand | Type | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Eleamy | Adjustable | Check Price |
10 lb Ankle Weights
Best ankle weights for heavier progression
There are very few ankle weights available that are able to provide 10 pounds of resistance per ankle. Kurla is one of the few offered, and its closure system is what makes that weight workable. A single velcro strap is the usual failure point once a cuff gets heavy — Kurla adds a strap that runs under your heel, so the wrap strap and the heel strap lock the weight together rather than the velcro carrying all 10 pounds on its own. The 10 pound ankle weight is perfect for progressing glute and hamstring exercises.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- 10 lb per cuff — one of very few options at this weight
- Heel strap plus adjustable wrap strap — they lock the weight together, so the velcro isn’t holding 10 lb alone
This is not a beginner purchase, but it is where you end up after a year of consistent glute work. It’s worth knowing what options are available so you can plan your purchases accordingly.
| Brand | Type | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Kurla | Fixed | Check Price |
Which Ankle Weights Are Right for You?
Start at 1–2 lb per ankle, and use them for isolation work. The most common mistake is buying too heavy up front, and the tell is your form: if it breaks down, the weight is too much.
- If you only buy one pair, buy the Eleamy. It covers 0.5 through 7.5 lb, uses plates instead of bags, and is the only pick here with a double closure — it’s the set you won’t replace.
- If you need to start lighter than that, the Hollylinka adjusts in 2 oz steps, which is finer than anything else on this list.
- If you’d rather not fuss with adjustments at all, the Bala is the slimmest option and the TheraBand is the one I’d hand a client who wants to buy once and be done. Both mean a second purchase when you’re ready for more.
- And if you’ve already worked past 7.5 lb, the Kurla is one of the few sets that goes to ten.
You’ve got the weights. Now what?
The gear was the easy part. The hard part is knowing when 1 lb becomes 2, whether your hip flexors are stealing the work from your glutes, and what to do when a movement stops feeling like anything. Nobody can answer that from a buying guide — not even me.
That’s what I do at Featherweight Fitness: virtual personal training for women over 40, built around what you actually own and how you actually move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ankle weights should I start with?
Beginners should start at a 1 pound ankle weight, even if that number feels small. It’s enough weight for most people to feel the glute medius burn by the end of a set of fire hydrants or side-lying leg raises. Fixed-weight is the simpler buy if you’re starting there and staying there for a while; adjustable costs more upfront but lets you add weight in small increments as the muscles adapt.
Are ankle weights safe for beginners over 40?
Yes, when used correctly. The main safety consideration is starting light — 1–2 lb per ankle — and using ankle weights for isolation movements rather than walking. Walking with ankle weights alters your gait and increases joint stress. For women over 40, adjustable ankle weights are the safest option because they let you increase load gradually as your ankle stability and strength improve.
Fixed or adjustable ankle weights — which type is best?
Adjustable ankle weights make sense for most beginners, since you can add weight as you progress instead of buying a second set. Fixed-weight ankle weights are an excellent choice for beginners rehabbing an injury, people who start and stop training frequently, or those who are buy-it-for-life consumers.
Do adjustable ankle weights leak?
Sand- and shot-filled ones can. The fill escapes at the seam, the cuff goes lopsided, and the weight you bought is no longer the weight you own. Steel-plate designs have nothing to leak, which is why every adjustable pick on this page uses plates.
Are 5 lb ankle weights too heavy?
For glute med and deep core work (side-lying leg raises, fire hydrants, dead bugs, bird dogs) — yes, too heavy to start. Those movements need more control than load as you learn the movement and how to activate the smaller muscles consistently. For glute max and hamstring work like donkey kicks, walking lunges, glute kickbacks, and prone hamstring curls, 5 pounds is a reasonable progression once 1–2 pounds gets easy.
What are the best ankle weights for glutes?
That depends on which glute muscle you’re working. Glute med (side-lying leg raises, fire hydrants) is a smaller, more easily fatigued muscle — 1 lb is enough to load it without your hip flexors taking over. Glute max (donkey kicks) is the biggest muscle in your body and can take more load faster — start at 1-2 lb and progress toward 5 lb as the movement gets easier.
Are there ankle weights that aren’t bulky?
Yes. Bulk matters most on floor work, where a thick cuff restricts range of motion on dead bugs and bird dogs. Bala is the slimmest pick here — a steel core in a silicone shell rather than a padded cuff around a bag, so there is far less material between your leg and the floor.
Keep Exploring
- Building Balance and Core Strength: Start Here — the bodyweight balance routine that comes before loading anything: single-leg stands, step-downs, and dead bugs.
- Best Resistance Bands for Beginners — progressive resistance without the bulk, a natural companion to ankle weights.
- Best Entry-Level Dumbbells for Beginners — how to pick the right starting weight and what’s actually worth buying.
- Best Foam Rollers for Beginners — recovery is part of the work, especially after 40.