What are Cankles ?
When it comes to physical appearance, ankles may be the scariest scenario. Cankles slang word describes the lower part of the leg when there is no clear separation between the calf and the ankle. It is also called cankles. They appear to be one fluid and continuous part of the body. This is often the case when their calf muscles are not developing, or when they have a large amount of adipose tissue (fat) surrounding their lower leg.
Your body has its own set of unique characteristics, including height, weight, and body type. But you can effectively improve the shape and change of different body parts through healthy eating and weight training.
Keep in mind: muscle building is most effectively achieved when you engage in training that includes resistance exercises, rather than just doing cardiovascular exercises like running.
Incorporating some calf exercises three to four times a week along with a sensible diet can make a difference in the shape of your lower leg.
Not only will the calf muscles (the calf and soleus muscles) become stronger, they will also become leaner. Weight training also helps strengthen your muscles, improve your appearance, and fight age-related muscle loss.
5 Exercises to Reduce the Cankles
1. Weighted Calf Raises
Equipment needed: You can use dumbbells, water bells, or a barbell for this movement.
Muscles worked: superficial calf muscle (calf muscle), deep calf muscle (sole)
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart, and hold your weights at your sides. Keep your arms extended and your shoulders relaxed.
- Transfer your weight onto the soles of your feet.
- Press your weight down and push your body up, lifting your heels off the floor.
- Hold it for a brief moment at the top.
- Return your heels to the floor. Make sure to control this movement.
- Don’t lock your knees. Have them in an athletic position, slightly bent.
- Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions with a weight in each hand. Adjust this weight as necessary.
If you need to increase the challenge, you can use a heavier weight in each hand, or increase the repetitions of each set to 20.
2. Stair Lifts the Calf
Equipment needed: A staircase with a drop of at least 5 inches. Weights are optional.
Muscles worked: superficial calf muscle (calf muscle), deep calf muscle (sole)
- Stand upright with the balls of your feet on the edge of the ladder.
- Keep your weight on the soles of your feet.
- Press your weight down and push your body up, with your heels up.
- Hold it for a brief moment at the top.
- Bring your heels down the ladder. During this part of the movement, you should feel a tightness in the front of your leg, and a stretch in your calves.
- Make sure to control this movement.
- Don’t lock your knees. Have them in an athletic position, slightly bent.
- Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
The goal of this move is to simultaneously improve movement and strength.
3. Calf Sitting Raises
Equipment needed: You’ll need a weight such as a sandbag, weight plate, or barbell for this exercise.
Muscles worked: superficial calf muscle (calf muscle), deep calf muscle (sole)
- Sit on a sturdy chair with your weight on your upper thighs.
- Push your toes into the floor to push the weight up and lift your heels off the floor.
- Hold it for a brief moment at the top.
- Return your heels to the floor.
- The weight on your thighs should help you control this movement.
- Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
The goal of this movement is to isolate your legs to increase strength. Start with less weight and work on gaining weight.
4. Calf Lunge Lifting
Equipment needed : kettlebell, weight plate, or medicine ball (optional)
Muscles worked: Performing the calf raise in a full lunge will improve your balance, mobility, and flexibility of the hip girdle and calf muscles.
- Stand erect, bearing your weight in front of your chest.
- Take a big step forward and dip into a lunge, with both legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
Raise the heel of your front foot by pushing your toes into the floor. Keep each rep briefly at the top. Make sure to keep your knee on the right track; Do not allow it to bend in or out.
- Return your heels to the floor.
- Make sure to control this movement and keep your core tight.
- This movement can seem very challenging, as you also have to keep your balance with your weight while performing each repetition.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
This step focuses on improving balance and stability. Don’t worry about using a heavy weight to get started.
5. Jump Rope
This straightforward childhood pastime is an excellent tool to help work the calf muscles.
Equipment needed: This jump rope is just the right size for your height
Muscles worked: superficial calf muscle (calf muscle), deep calf muscle (sole)
Each time you jump, make sure the rope passes under your feet. Focus on keeping your elbows close to your body, bouncing off the balls of your feet only (heels shouldn’t touch the ground), and finding a rhythm in your breathing.
Aim to do 5 sets of jump rope for one minute with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between. Feel free to modify this to a longer time to increase the challenge. You can also try doing two lower strokes (the rope should go under your feet twice between jumps) to make this movement more advanced.
Next steps
Remember that it is important to shift your focus from criticising your body to loving yourself. Don’t let one part of the body become an obsession. Cankles will soon become a thing of the past if you work on training these muscles and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
