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

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.