Having lower legs that look like tubes rather than that shapely hour glass is commonly known as having "cankles". To get rid of your cankles you first must understand what they are.
A significant part of the cankle look is the bone structure. Maybe you have slightly thinner or thicker bones, or maybe the Tibula and Fibula are closer together, making a smaller ankle, or are further apart, making a wider ankle. The bone structure comes from your genetics and nothing else so there is nothing that can be done from a structural standpoint.
Next you may be carrying body fat in your lower leg. That stored body fat can reduce the )( shape of the ankle and give you the canckle look. This entire blog is about weight loss so if you are unsure about how to lose weight than keep going through these posts and you will quickly see the answers that you seek. To summarize though, if you want to reduce the cankle look then you need to make sure that you are losing weight!
In addition to carrying lower extremity body fat you may also be retaining water. That water retention can be a result of hormones, dehydration, lack of exercise, medication or any number of factors. Water retention can also be a reflection of your health, except during menstruation, and should be addressed. You can do things like elevate your feet, increase your water intake (I know that sounds counter to what you should do but increasing hydration will help your body flush the water that it holds) but most importantly you should exercise. The blood flow from exercise will help carry away the excess water and the action of exercise, called muscle pump, will help that water leave the unwanted areas.
Lastly, you need to give your legs some shape. That means make sure that you have more than a healthy amount of calf muscle. That will increase the size of the upper calf area and give the impression that the lower calf is smaller. I know that is a scary concept for some people but do not be afraid of having a little muscle. It is far better for your looks and general well being to have a touch more muscle than you want than a touch too little!
You are given a short life and an even shorter amount of time where results will come easier, so the longer that you take to make these changes the harder that it will be to get the results. This is your plan.
A GOAL, WITHOUT A PLAN
A significant part of the cankle look is the bone structure. Maybe you have slightly thinner or thicker bones, or maybe the Tibula and Fibula are closer together, making a smaller ankle, or are further apart, making a wider ankle. The bone structure comes from your genetics and nothing else so there is nothing that can be done from a structural standpoint.
Next you may be carrying body fat in your lower leg. That stored body fat can reduce the )( shape of the ankle and give you the canckle look. This entire blog is about weight loss so if you are unsure about how to lose weight than keep going through these posts and you will quickly see the answers that you seek. To summarize though, if you want to reduce the cankle look then you need to make sure that you are losing weight!
In addition to carrying lower extremity body fat you may also be retaining water. That water retention can be a result of hormones, dehydration, lack of exercise, medication or any number of factors. Water retention can also be a reflection of your health, except during menstruation, and should be addressed. You can do things like elevate your feet, increase your water intake (I know that sounds counter to what you should do but increasing hydration will help your body flush the water that it holds) but most importantly you should exercise. The blood flow from exercise will help carry away the excess water and the action of exercise, called muscle pump, will help that water leave the unwanted areas.
Lastly, you need to give your legs some shape. That means make sure that you have more than a healthy amount of calf muscle. That will increase the size of the upper calf area and give the impression that the lower calf is smaller. I know that is a scary concept for some people but do not be afraid of having a little muscle. It is far better for your looks and general well being to have a touch more muscle than you want than a touch too little!
You are given a short life and an even shorter amount of time where results will come easier, so the longer that you take to make these changes the harder that it will be to get the results. This is your plan.
A GOAL, WITHOUT A PLAN
