Can You Get Rid of Cankles?

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A weight-loss doc explains the main causes of oversized ankles—and whether you can slim them down.

While we aren't particularly fans of the name "cankles", finding the root cause of your wide ankles can do more than make your booties fit better—especially if the extra mass down there is something new. It can also help you improve your overall health, says Caroline Cederquist, M.D., creator ofbistroMD and author of The MD Factor Diet.

Here, we share five common cankle-causers—and how to combat them for sexy gams and a healthy body.

1. Weight Gain
"As weight goes up, so does the number of fat stores in the legs," says Cederquist. "More often than not, cankles are caused by gravity pulling fat stores down toward the ankle and calf area."

The Fix: Getting to a healthy weight through diet and exercise can help, says Cederquist. She recommends infusing your workout with total-body fat blasters that do serious overtime on your calf muscles. Try jumping rope, sprinting, and churning out jumping jacks.

2. Genetics
If one of your parents has large ankles, genetics is probably at least partially to blame for yours, says Cederquist, who notes that some women are born with large ankle joints, little-developed calf muscles, or both.

The Fix: You can't change your genetics, but you can turn your workout's attention to your calves, a muscle group that most women, even fit ones, tend to miss. Try the look-great-in-heels workout.

3. Fluid Retention
A sudden loss of discernable ankles is often caused by fluid retention—either due to sodium intake or pregnancy, says Cederquist. While sodium encourages the body to hang onto water and bloat, pregnancy often comes with poor circulation, which can cause blood to pool in the ankles.

The Fix: Compression socks can help quickly relieve swelling, but to keep up the results, you need to address your diet. Focus on avoiding sodium-rich foods, such as processed and fast foods, says Cederquist. Preventing dehydration through adequate fluid intake (your pee should be light yellow or clear) can also help prevent fluid retention. If you're pregnant, it's always a good idea to discuss any health complications (even swollen ankles), with your doctor.

4. Medications
Antidepressants, blood pressure medicines, and hormones (such as the estrogen contained in birth control pills) can cause swelling in some women's ankles and legs, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Fix: If your ankles disappeared around the time you started a new Rx, talk to your doctor about possible side effects. He or she may be able to prescribe you another brand that agrees better with your body, according to NIH.

5. Illness
While cankles are rarely cause for serious concern, kidney disease, liver failure, heart failure, blood clots, and other medical problems can all increase fluid retention, especially around the ankles, says Cederquist.

The Fix: If you're experiencing other worrisome symptoms, such as fatigue, changes in urination, nausea, or shortness of breath, immediately visit your doctor.