{"id":96932,"date":"2025-10-01T13:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/96932\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T13:14:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:14:11","slug":"walking-with-wrist-weights-are-there-any-benefits-for-runners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/96932\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking with wrist weights \u2013 are there any benefits for runners?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If, like me, you are neither hot nor a girl, you may have missed out on the viral TikTok trend known as \u2018hot girl walk<\/a>\u2019. It was conceived in the US in the early 2020s by influencer Mia Lind, who has now managed to get a wellness company<\/a> and an entire book out of her simple, three-pronged idea: go for a four-mile walk while thinking about: 1. \u2018The things you\u2019re grateful for\u2019; 2. \u2018Your goals and how you\u2019re going to achieve them\u2019; and 3. \u2018How HOT you are\u2019. There\u2019s nothing wrong with a bit of positive affirmation, of course. Runners know that the buzz you can get in body and mind from a morning jog can set you up for an excellent day. So if you add some wrist weights<\/a> to this scenario, does it count as a hot girl workout<\/a>? <\/p>\n

What are wrist weights? <\/p>\n

As with ankle weights<\/a> and the weighted vests<\/a> that people are using thanks to the growing popularity of rucking<\/a>, wrist weights are designed to increase resistance when you move, thus burning some extra calories and improving muscle tone. They can weigh anything from 1 to 5 pounds and are typically filled with sand or metal beads. If you don\u2019t have enough time in your day to carve out a dedicated strength and conditioning<\/a> workout, the theory is that adding them to a walk could be a useful bit of strength and conditioning multitasking. <\/p>\n

Do wrist weights really make walking harder? <\/p>\n

They do, but not dramatically so. One study from back in 1988, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise<\/a>, looked at what happened to 12 sedentary males when they walked with either hand weights, wrist weights or ankle weights. When compared with no weights, the hand weights made the biggest difference to blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen uptake, but still not by much. A more recent study in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation<\/a> looked at sedentary women walking with handheld weights and found that there was no increase in energy expenditure beyond normal walking. One more, in the Journal of Indian College of Cardiology<\/a>, found that walking with hand weights does increase your rate of perceived exertion<\/a> so that it may feel harder, even if it isn\u2019t doing all that much. <\/p>\n

What everyone’s readingWhat are the potential benefits of walking with wrist weights? <\/p>\n

The theory is that whenever you make movement harder, that is by adding weight, you\u2019re making your body work harder, which should translate into increased calorie burn<\/a> and some additional muscle activation. However, the studies are much more convincing when they\u2019re looking at the more significant addition of a weighted vest<\/a>. This study from the American Council on Exercise<\/a> found that women expended 13% more calories when walking while wearing a vest that weighed 10-15% of their body mass. Another study in the Lancet<\/a> found that people wearing an 11kg weighted vest lost more weight than those in a 1kg vest. Wrist weights can activate stabilising muscles in the arms, shoulders and core, but there could also be a problem with joint strain. <\/p>\n

Do wrist weights have any risks? <\/p>\n

Harvard Medical School<\/a> has warned that wearable weights can be \u2018a risky choice for some exercises\u2019. It suggests that both wrist and ankle weights can create a muscle imbalance, forcing your body to move in a way that it wouldn\u2019t naturally, potentially causing joint or tendon injuries. Some other coaches propose that while walking<\/a> is undeniably good for you, it\u2019s probably more sensible to make time to keep the strength and conditioning<\/a> work in its own dedicated lane. <\/p>\n

Does walking with wrist weights have any benefits for runners? <\/p>\n

While wearing wrist weights while walking (wow, that\u2019s a lot of w\u2019s!) can make your walk feel a little tougher and there could be a small bump in calorie loss, the risks of a strain or injury through unnatural joint movement are likely to outweigh any small benefit that a serious runner could gain. You\u2019ll get more out of running itself \u2013 plus, making the time for more structured strength training, when you can give your full concentration to lifting heavy things, will offer more benefits. All told, it\u2019s better to spend your walks purely thinking about how hot you are. <\/p>\n

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