My week wearing ankle weights: 'I was helping kickstart my muscles'

When a knee injury forced me to change my fitness routine, I added Sportneer ankle weights – and got a decent workout

I’m a personal trainer. Here’s the equipment I use
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My exercise regimen has changed drastically over the last 15 years. A self-confessed cardio queen in my 20s and 30s, I alternated days at the gym with dance and Hiit classes and endured long bouts on the full complement of cardio equipment. And then my body caught up with me. First it was bursitis in my knee, which my doctor called “burpee-itis” from the ridiculous amount of the exercises I was performing. “You have to listen to your body,” he lightly chided as he poked at my swollen kneecap. Once my lower back started to complain, I had to start making serious concessions.

Thankfully, finding new ways to stay in shape was not as hard as I thought. A quick pivot led me to strength training, barre and pilates classes, and lots and lots of walking. My knee was still keeping me from doing a ton of basic leg work including squats and lunges, so ankle weights seemed like an easy solution. After doing some research on what would fit my specific needs, I decided on Sportneer ankle weights and used them daily for a week to see if they could enhance my lower body workouts.