I want to mix up my training and I'm thinking about ankle weights for my shins. I heard they help develop explosive power, but I also read that you can get injured. Does anyone use them for running?
# Weighted ankle straps make sense, but you need to be careful. They really do help develop explosive leg power and speed up results, but it's super easy to injure your knees and ankles if you just throw them on and run normally with the added weight. The problem is that the extra weight changes the load on your joints and ligaments, and if they're not ready for it, you'll end up with inflammation or micro-tears.
If you still want to try, start with really light weights (around 0.5 - 1 kg on each leg) and use them not for regular running, but for high-impact training like box jumps, lateral bounds, or exercises like lunges. That's way safer than actually running in them over distance. The key thing is not every day and not longer than 15 - 20 minutes at a time. If your knees or calves start hurting after a workout, stop right away and give them rest. Alternative: hill running or sprints up an incline builds explosive power without any extra gear and it's safer too.
It's not really about whether they're harmful in themselves! It all depends on how you use them. I tried adding ankle weights to my runs and spent the first month working with really light ones - literally 0.5 kg on each leg, short distances. The result was, honestly, noticeable: my legs got stronger and running became easier without them. But when I got ambitious and suddenly jumped up the weight - that's when I strained my ankle.
My advice: start with minimal weight, short workouts and gradually build it up. And don't run in ankle weights every day - alternate with regular runs, otherwise your joints will just get tired of protesting! They develop explosive power really well, but only if you don't overdo it.
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