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Medical Author:

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE, is an exercise physiologist and Certified Diabetes Educator, and is director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center in

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Should I Wear Ankle and Wrist Weights to Build More Muscle and Burn More Calories When I Run?

Research shows that the use of extra weight on the arms or legs while walking (no studies on running could be located) can add to the calorie expenditure. In one study of walking with walking sticks, calorie expenditure increased by an average of 23% compared to walking without the sticks. In a similar study where subjects walked on a treadmill with arm levers, calorie expenditure increased by 55% above walking without the levers. However, the extra weight has the potential to throw off your natural gait, particularly during running where the forces are magnified, and theoretically could increase the risk of injury to the joints, or at the very least cause neck and shoulder strain. As for ankle weights, the same risk of throwing off the gait applies. If the legs are carrying extra weight at the ankles, then the stress could transfer to the knees and lower back as the weight pulls on these joints. My suggestion is that if you want to carry extra weight to burn more calories, you should wear a weight vest. The vest will cause the extra weight to be distributed evenly on the torso and supported at your hips, thereby causing your legs, and not your lower back, neck, or other vulnerable joints to do most of the extra work.