Capri pants bare scourge of summer: ‘cankles’

Jacqueline Stenson MSNBC contributor

Still obsessing about how your dimpled thighs, jelly belly or flappy arms look in a swimsuit? That’s so last summer.

This year, there’s a new body part to fret over: the cankle.

Hmmm, you may be wondering, what’s a cankle? Gold’s Gym, which has designated July as “Cankle Awareness Month,” defines it this way: “The word comes from the combination of ‘calf’ and ‘ankle.’ It occurs when the calf merges with an obese or swollen ankle.”

Jason Alexander's jerk character in the movie “Shallow Hal” explains it best: "She's got no ankles. It's like the calf merged with the foot, cut out the middleman."

You know the look.

And as Gold's points out, summer, with its flirty skirts, strappy sandals and cropped jeans can be a tough time for the thick jointed.

“Cankles are the fastest growing ‘aesthetic affliction’ in the United States … even ahead of other bathing suit killers like Muffin Tops, Saddle Bags and Moobs,” says Gold’s new cankle Web site www.saynotocankles.com. “Millions of people across the country are currently affected by Cankles and millions more are ‘at risk.’ In fact, it is estimated that if current trends continue, by the year 2012 Cankles will surpass Love Handles as the number one aesthetic affliction in the world.”

Join the discussion

Well, of course, there really aren’t any solid statistics on cankles, acknowledges Dave Reiseman, director of communications at Gold’s headquarters in Dallas. So the experts at Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute came up with their own estimates based on “what they’re seeing in the field combined with obesity statistics,” he says.

While the Gold’s site claims that “Together, we can put an end to Cankles,” some people aren’t so sure.

Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego, sees the cankle awareness campaign as more of a “marketing ploy” than a surefire fix for chubby ankles.

“All they are essentially advocating is weight loss and cardiovascular exercise, which is what we recommend for anyone who needs to lose weight,” he says.

Skinny jeans aren't your friend
Keep in mind, Comana says, that spot reduction is a myth. In other words, no workout will allow you to lose weight just in your ankles — or your thighs or your abs, for that matter.

The Gold’s plan to “prevent, treat and minimize the appearance of cankles” focuses on three areas: exercise, diet and style (avoiding skinny jeans, for instance, and wearing bright sneakers at the gym to “draw attention away from the ankle”).

As for how to reduce cankles, Gold’s advocates cutting calories and engaging in “consistent high-intensity, fat-burning cardiovascular activities that focus on slimming down your calves.” Suggested activities: long, brisk walks for at least 30 minutes each day and step class. (Certainly, people with ankle swelling, which could be the sign of a serious medical problem, should bypass the gym and head to the doctor for an exam.)

Tips Climb out of your fitness rut Get a few suggested fixes for your workout woes. msnbc.com

Gold’s also designed a calf-strengthening routine, which involves a few types of calf raises to be done three times a week, to give “the appearance of slimmer, sculpted ankles.”

Building up the calf helps “so that there’s a separation between your calf and your ankle,” says Los Angeles personal trainer Ramona Braganza, a member of the Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute.

Gold’s didn’t actually conduct structured tests of their cankle-busting workout, but experience shows that these techniques work, says Braganza, who has helped to tone the legs of Hollywood stars such as Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel.

Comana agrees that calf-strengthening exercises, while they alone won’t shrink the lower leg in the absence of weight loss, can help improve leg definition. How much, though, may depend on your relatives, he says. “If a nice, shapely calf is not in your genetic code, then you may never grow that muscle.”

‘Tree trunks'
TL McClendon doesn’t think there is much she can do about her cankles, which she has long been well aware of. “Mine have been called ‘tree trunks’ since I was a kid, and I have always been self-conscious about them,” she says.

“I've always been an athlete and I've never been overweight,” says McClendon, 43, of Atlanta, whose ankles never changed size even during the two years she was bodybuilding. “I don't see any reason I should have cankles.” Great legs actually run in her family.

“I'm not sure what my other options are except liposuction in that area,” says McClendon. “Frankly, I'd rather just wear pants. If it was good enough for Katharine Hepburn, it's good enough for me.”

Cankle-busting moves Gold's Gym's "Say No To Cankles" campaign recommends these moves three times per week for strengthening your calves (and making your ankles look slimmer by comparison). Calf Raise (Five reps on 15 steps) Stand on a stair with your heels hanging off. Carefully rise up onto your toes, pause briefly, then lower back down to the starting position. Move up a step and repeat. Leg Press Calf Raise (Three sets of 10 to 12 reps) Set the machine to a challenging but doable resistance. Sit on the seat, with toes planted shoulder-width apart on the footplate, heels hanging over. Press up up onto your toes, pause briefly, and then lower your heels until fully extended. To work your calves one at a time, simply cross one leg over the other. Modified Shoulder Press (Three sets of 12 reps) Holding a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders, bend at the hips and knees until your butt is just off the floor. While still in a squat, rise onto your toes. Push the weights overhead until arms are straight but elbows aren't locked, and then lower them. Stay on your toes for the remaining reps.

MORE FROM SMART FITNESS

Smart Fitness Section Front

Can working out wear you out? Get fit, faster, with short-burst training Can exercise get rid of this dude’s ‘moobs’? Find the right workout machine for you Pump up the volume, pump up your workout With parkour, the whole world's a playground Capri pants bare scourge of summer: ‘cankles’ ‘Phantom fat’ can linger after weight loss Exercise not likely to rev up your metabolism Power lunch? Squeeze in a speedy workout Smart Fitness Section Front   Add Smart Fitness headlines to your news reader: