Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 10:30 pm
Walking is an easy, low impact exercise that can sustain everyday fitness. However, after some time, you may have wondered whether adding wrist or ankle weights might benefit your walk. While additional resistance can lend increased results, it’s important to do it safely. By the end of this post you’ll know the impacts of walking with weights, including its challenges.
Generally, walking with weights can increase cardio activity, burn more calories, and tone muscle. However, physicians and fitness coaches warn that it may do more harm than good.
Benefits of Walking with Weights
Many are curious if walking with added weight is good for you. Choosing the correct style and load, which we discuss later, can in fact benefit your workout.
If walking is your primary form of workout, your upper body strength can deteriorate. Which is why walking with weights may be a good option.
Muscle Tone
It may be surprising, but what feels like a light workout, can indeed tone muscles while you walk.
If your arms feel slightly sore, you’ll know that your muscles are working toward becoming toned.
Muscle soreness is different that joint stiffness. Be sure to consult a doctor beforehand if you have injuries like bursitis, tendonitis, or any kind of cartilage tear.
Increased Cardio
With a little extra resistance, you can quickly boost the cardio benefits of your workout.
You don’t necessarily have to run with these weights to gain this advantage, in fact it may not be advisable. Just walking with extra weight can increase heart rate, blood flow and get you sweating.
RELATED: Best Walking Shoes for Senior Men
We all know that adding more cardio to your routine can help with heart health and high blood pressure, but that’s not all.
Additionally, cardio exercise increases the body’s ability to move oxygenated blood. In turn, this increases your daily energy levels and exercise endurance.
Burns More Calories
While you’re effortlessly pumping 1-2 pounds of iron, your also burning more calories. It is inevitable, more resistance on your walk will shed more calories, however more is not always better.
Consider any potential injuries may have you off your routine while you heal. Stick with good form and a low weight to achieve a nice boost in weight loss.
Challenges and Risks of Walking With Weights
Walking with weights can be quite a controversial topic among physicians, physical therapists, and athletes. While walking is the most natural thing humans can do, sometimes adding weight can cause us more harm than good.
Because we’re likely to lose proper form for either portion of a dual task, many advise keeping weight training and cardio exercise separate.
Unnatural Imbalance
For example, it may not feel like much, but long term use additional weight can cause injury with improper posture.
Walking in ankle weights can force you to use your quadriceps more than your hamstrings. It sounds harmless, however this imbalance opens your body to more injury potential while it attempts to compensate. This is especially an issue in the knees, hips and back.
The same is observed for arm weights. With improper form, or long term use, arm weights may increase your risk of trauma to elbows, neck, and shoulders.
Strain on Joints
Additionally, ankle weights are widely discouraged by most parties as they put unneeded strain and shock on the hips and knees.
Furthermore, walking with great form will do more for your overall longevity than walking with weights.
As with anything in life there are potential dangers. If you do decide to add weights, it is important to choose the correct weight and maintain great posture.
How to Walk With Weights
Since walking comes naturally to us, it is always surprising when we realize that we’re doing it wrong. Once we master the proper normal or brisk walking form, adding weights should be simple.
Proper Form
Common mistakes include swinging your arms across the centerline of the body, twisting the waist, and tensing the shoulders.
To maintain the proper walking form:
- Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
- Elbows should be bent 90° with hands loosely clenched.
- Arms should swing forward and back without passing across your body.
- Avoid excessive arm swinging and jerking.
- Feet should strike with heel first and transition your weight to the ball of your foot.
Additionally, when adding weights it is important to activate your arm muscles. Moreover, do not allow your tendons and joints from carrying the load.
RELATED: Best Walking Shoes for Senior Women
Most importantly, if you feel pain in any part of your body, you must stop.
Start Low and Slow
Beginning with too much weight can be dangerous and lead to injury. Importantly, perfect your walking stride and practice good form before heading out.
When incorporating weight, start out with the lowest weight and add gradually.
Usually, 1 pound hand or wrist weights are a great start.
You can gradually increase to 2-3 pound per arm safely depending on your fitness level and commitment to proper walking form (source).
Starting with a set of Adjustable Wrist Weights can help you change out weight as needed. Alternatively, if you’d prefer, Soft Hand Weights are easy an comfortable for long walks.
Practice Your Posture and Get Moving
Sometimes we need a little extra boost to our daily fitness and walking with weights may just fit the bill. Whether you’re on flat terrain or walking hills, it is extremely important to maintain proper form and choose appropriate weights to avoid injury. It won’t hurt to also purchase a pair of walking shoes with great cushioning to protect your joints.
As always, consult your doctor beforehand if you have ailments. Especially if they may be affected by increased cardio workouts or stress on joints. Wherever you’re headed, keep it consistent and accomplish your fitness goals.
Image Credit: Nenad Stojkovic | (source) | Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) — reduced file size and cropped