Wide ankles for women. 9 ways to get rid of fat ankles and calves
Wide ankles can be inherited from relatives, but most often they appear as a result of many other reasons. If you're unhappy with your calves and ankles, you can try a variety of ways to improve the situation, from diet and exercise to correcting medical problems.
Lose weight
If you notice that your calves are thickening, then you should bring your weight back to normal. Most often, this part of the leg becomes wide due to the deposition of fat cells. The best choice would be a healthy and balanced diet, but sharp dietary restrictions can only harm your health.
Prevent fluid retention
If your weight has remained stable and your calves and ankles have become thicker, the problem is likely fluid retention. Reduce your intake of salty foods and drink enough water. Reducing the amount of sodium in your diet will actually improve the situation. Exercise will also be beneficial, as you will also remove sodium from the body through sweat.
Exercises
There are no exercises that will help you lose weight in this area, so choose workouts that strengthen the muscles in your feet. Cardio will help you stay in shape, but if you're concerned about your calves and ankles, it's best to supplement it with more specific exercises. Jumping rope, walking or climbing stairs, as well as ankle raises and squat jumps can help improve the appearance of your legs.
Check your medications
Some medications can also cause or worsen the problem. Most often, swelling in the ankle area is caused by blood pressure medications and antidepressants. If you notice that your lower legs begin to swell after starting treatment, consult your doctor about alternatives. Antidepressants can also cause weight gain, which can also negatively affect the appearance of your legs.
Most often, swelling in the ankle area is caused by blood pressure medications and antidepressants.
Wear massage shoes
If you want to improve the condition of your ankles, special shoes can help. Nowadays, many companies promise that their products will keep your legs toned while walking. Reviews about such shoes are still contradictory, but it’s worth a try. The main thing is to choose proven brands.
Change your contraceptive method
Hormones are directly linked to weight gain and swelling of the ankles. If you notice problems with your legs after a few months, ask your doctor to try a different medication to minimize side effects.
Rule out medical problems
Swollen ankles can be caused by a number of serious medical problems, from thrombosis to internal organ diseases. Warning signs are redness on the ankles, different temperatures in this area and in other parts of the body. Apply pressure to the swollen area. If the skin does not return to its original position quickly enough, you have serious fluid retention, which is worth seeing a doctor about.
If you're pregnant, get a massage
During pregnancy, it is almost impossible to get rid of swollen ankles. During this period, hormonal changes and poor circulation cause problems. It's best to reduce your sodium intake as it only makes things worse. It is important to maintain physical activity throughout your pregnancy; ankle training will help improve circulation and reduce swelling.
Embrace Genetics or Try Liposuction
The most radical way to get slender ankles is liposuction, but this is not an entirely safe procedure. However, if you have tried everything and have not achieved any results, then the problem is most likely genetic. In this case, you may consider surgery.
Maximum open leg
Stylists have one simple rule: the longer the profile of the shoe, the more graceful full calves and ankles look. In other words, shoes or sandals with a deep cut in the front or with an open last create the appearance of long and slender legs. In the summer, you should choose pairs with a maximum open upper part, which will cover only your fingers or part of them. Shoes with a closed top, on the contrary, will visually shorten the length of the leg, making it visually thicker and heavier. The exception is closed shoes, the shade of which matches the color of tights or trousers. In this case, the shoes will become a continuation of the clothes and visually lengthen the full legs.
Wide ankles in women, what shoes to wear. High heel
When buying shoes, women with imperfect ankles must follow a few simple rules, the first of which is: buy shoes exclusively with heels. This statement especially applies to shoes - both weekend and everyday. However, there are some limitations here too, so you shouldn’t be too hasty in sweeping options with high heels or platforms off the counter. Only shoes with the correct length and shape of the heel can make your legs visually slimmer and longer.
For women with wide ankles, the following types of heels are preferable:
- Short. Ladies with short stature should pay attention to models with heels from 1.5 to 2 cm. This option is not only practical and comfortable as everyday shoes, but also goes well with any type of clothing: trousers, skirts, dresses, and so on. Tall girls with long legs can safely purchase moccasins with a heel of about 0.5 cm.
- High. Most women are mistaken that only the highest heels can hide imperfections and make their legs slimmer, visually lengthening them. This is not entirely true. The optimal heel size should not exceed 7 cm. More daring options will cause difficulties when walking, forcing you to slouch and bend your legs, and this will only aggravate the situation. In addition, high-heeled shoes are not the best option for going to work or shopping. Another thing is to use similar models for special occasions.
- Wide. Such a heel is not only the most stable and comfortable, but also makes the ankles visually slimmer. It is ideal for girls with extra centimeters on their calves, ankles and hips. Stylists advise choosing summer shoes with wide heels in dark shades (brown, black). White and cream models can visually expand already full legs.
Shoes in the same color scheme as trousers
Shoes of a similar color with trousers or tights can make your legs longer and your ankles slimmer. This simple technique is available in every stylist’s arsenal. For dark tights and stockings you need to choose laconic models in black, dark brown, gray, for light summer ones - cream, white, beige tones. In addition, in this case, a continuous color line should be followed in clothing. This will help create a harmonious look and not focus on the flaws of the figure as a whole. Contrasting shoes, on the contrary, are contraindicated for girls with imperfect legs. This is especially true for summer sandals with flashy colorful colors, lots of belts and a lot of decorations.
Women have wide ankles by nature.
Doctors from the Laboratory of Human Physiology from the University of Columbia (USA), in collaboration with paleontologists, found that the positive reaction of men to thin female calves, smoothly rising from graceful ankles, is an unconditioned reflex.
Having compared several dozen skeletons of prehistoric women (skulls and ankles), scientists concluded that women with thin calves had larger skulls. The aesthetic image of an attractive female in the subconscious of men consisted not only of a narrow waist and high breasts. Thin ankles underwent evolutionary selection in those women who could not walk for a long time, but preferred to “do housework” - keep the fire, tanned hides, and cook food.
Such women developed a better intellect, which means it was easier to find a common sexual language with them - what we now call love. Modern men have inherited the reaction to slender female calves as an unconditioned reflex.
Graceful ankles and small feet (especially for tall women) in France have been a sign of noble birth in all centuries. Yes, yes, exactly the legs. Not even hands: aristocratic women in the 18th century could have large hands if they played ball a lot as children (a common sport for women). But the legs - they always gave away their origin. Therefore, aristocrats tried to emphasize the thinness of their ankles and the smooth line of their calves with flirty shoes.
To keep your ankles toned
Do a simple exercise every day. Stand in front of the stairs, legs straight, arms at your sides, back straight. Lift your chin, look forward. During the exercise, the buttocks should be tense and the stomach should be pulled in.
Place your left foot on the step and lean your upper body forward until you form a straight line with your right leg. The right leg is extended, the heel is pressed to the floor. Distribute your body weight evenly on both legs (repeat 20 times on each leg, doing 3 sets).
No - straps
Shoes and sandals with straps are the most disadvantageous option for wide shins for the following reasons:
- there is a visual division of the leg line into two parts;
- excessive attention is drawn to the full ankle.
The disadvantages will be especially noticeable if you combine shoes with fastenings on the calves or ankles with medium-length skirts or short trousers. You should also avoid pairs with massive decor: bows, ribbons, lacing, fasteners, buckles in the ankle area, which visually widen the legs and shorten their length.
The only exception is shoes with a thin and soft flowing strap that does not fasten to the ankle and does not fit tightly to the leg. These shoes should be worn in tandem with short shorts or tapered jeans that visually elongate the leg.
Wide ankles in women, what to do. What to do if you have thick ankles
It often happens that despite having slender and beautiful legs, girls have fairly wide ankles. And when you gain excess weight, this problem becomes completely total. Your legs look like two pillars and, especially in summer, you have to give up clothes that highlight your ankles. For example, sandals and shorts are excluded, and high heels do not emphasize the beauty of your legs. On the contrary, it draws attention to shortcomings. What to do about this problem?
Fat deposits located between the shins and ankles, when present in excess, can make a person truly unhappy. But there is no need to despair, this can be solved. The first thing to start with is this. It is known that local fat burning is not possible, so if you want to get rid of excess fat in some specific parts of your body, then be prepared to lose fat everywhere. In addition, fat is not distributed and processed in our body evenly. So in this matter you need to be patient. Even if you see progress throughout your whole body, but your ankles are practically unchanged, don’t be discouraged, over time, progress will reach this area. In addition to standard exercises, you can add more calf exercises. For example, calf raises. This exercise can be performed on one leg or two, dynamically (walking on toes) or statically (lifting half toes with weight). This exercise will help, in parallel with the loss of fat, to slightly change the proportions. Your calves will become more prominent and even your naturally wide ankles will appear more graceful.
You don't need any additional equipment to perform calf raises. When performing single-leg calf raises, you do not need additional weights - this exercise is performed with your own body weight. All you need is a chair back or some kind of support so you can hold on to it and maintain your balance. When performing the exercise, you lift the foot of the supporting leg onto the toe, the second leg is bent at the knee joint. It is important to contract the calf muscle as much as possible at the top point and keep a short pause at the point of maximum tension (2-3 seconds is enough). You can regulate the load yourself: the higher you rise, the greater the tension in the muscles.
Also, don’t forget that when it comes to weight loss, your best friends are proper nutrition and. Not only will they help slim down your ankles and calves, but they will also have a positive effect on your entire body. After your workout, don't forget to stretch - this is very important.
In addition to excess weight, large ankle volume can be associated with swelling and the easiest way to find out if you have swelling is to press your finger on your ankle. If there is a slight dent in your skin, then most likely the problem is fluid retention. In order to get rid of swelling (applicable to the whole body, not just the ankles), you need to reduce the level of salt you consume, control that the amount of carbohydrates for dinner is minimal and comes only from non-starchy vegetables (there is starch, carrots, corn, beets ), eliminate alcohol and maintain proper drinking regimen.
Use these methods, be patient, and your legs will definitely delight you with their appearance.