What to Know About Wearable Weights

Jake Newby

12.10.2024 | 4 min read

Health and Wellness

What’s old is often new again on TikTok. Wearable weights, which have been around for years, took center stage on TikTok in 2024 as users generated millions of views by strapping them to their ankles, wrists and chests and touting their alleged weight-loss and muscle-toning benefits.

Wearable weights offer resistance training. When worn, they make the muscles work against a weight or force to increase strength. Wearable weights have health benefits, but they are associated with plenty of risks, too.

How do ankle and wrist weights work?

Ankle weights are one- to three-pound weights attached to a Velcro strap that wraps fully around the ankle.

Exercising with ankle weights on targets the leg and hip muscles, specifically the gluteus medius in the hip, which plays a crucial role in hip abduction and pelvis stabilization walking. This muscle has to work harder to move against gravity when an ankle weight is applied, which can strengthen it.

Wrist weights wraparound the wrist like a bracelet and also attach with Velcro. They generally weigh one or two pounds. They are often worn while walking or doing cardiovascular-based exercises.

What to know about weighted vests

Weighted vests are garments with weights built into them. They usually include pockets for storing additional weights. They can add intensity to walks or other cardio-based exercises, like jogs or stair climbs. Always select a weighted vest that is no more than 10% of your body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, for example, your vest should weigh no more than 20 pounds.

What are the benefits of wearable weights?

Exercising with 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%, according to WebMD.

Wrist weights can increase the amount of oxygen you breathe by 5% to 15%, per WebMD, while also raising your heart rate by five to 10 beats per minute. One study found that energy expenditure was increased for subjects who walking with wearable weights, suggesting that wearing them during standard, low-impact daily activities can burn increased calories. Wrist weights may also be preferred if you have grip issues and cannot easily lift a dumbbell.

Similarly to wrist weights, weighted vests can add intensity to walks without straining the hands and ankles. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP),weighted vests can serve as easily accessible exercise equipment for adults over the age of 50 and are optimal for working out at home. They can also help older adults by:

Minimizing bone mass loss while losing weight
Maintaining and building muscle strength
Helping with posture issues

What are the risks of wearable weights?

A general risk and issue with wearable weights, especially ankle and wrist weights, is that they can change the mechanics of how your upper and lower body naturally move and, in some cases, cause muscle imbalances. For example, ankle weights exert the front of the leg and the quadriceps more than the hamstrings while walking. The hamstrings, on the back of the leg, are supposed to be a more crucial component of walking.

Wearable ankle weights can also pull on the ankle joint and potentially lead to tendon or ligament injuries to the knees, back and hips.

A risk posed by weighted vests is the pressure they put on the spine, which can exacerbate chronic neck, shoulder and back problems. Adding too much weight or overdoing it with wearable weights can lead to overuse injuries like bursitis, tendonitis, and strains or sprains, per WebMD.

Tips for using wearable weights

Before you try wearable ankle, chest or wrist weights, talk to your primary care provider. They may not be advisable if you have a history of back, neck, joint or balance issues.

Additionally, it’s important to start slow and with the lowest possible amount of weight. Then, as you adjust, gradually increase the weight of your wearables by a pound or two every couple of weeks.

When using wrist weights, avoid swinging your arms too much as this motion can put added stress on your arm joints.

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Photo credit: Getty Images