Flabby arms? Diet and exercise can help

By Eve Glicksman, Staff Writer, myOptumHealth 

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You're ready to throw away all your sleeveless dresses and tank tops. You lost some weight but none of the unsightly flab under your arms.

Women especially may notice their upper arms starting to sag as they reach middle age. Most women do not use the muscles in the back of their upper arms much. Even if you are not overweight, the muscles can become weak and flabby from disuse. Skin also loses elasticity with age, which can make the flesh seem to hang.

Many women cope by simply covering up and making sure their upper arms never see the light of day. But it is possible to firm and sculpt your arms with exercise and a change in diet.

No such thing as "spot reducing"
The only way to get rid of what some call "batwings" is to lose weight. Spot reduction doesn't work. Even if you work out daily with arm weights, excess body fat will hide the defined muscles.

To lose arm wattle, you need to cut back on high-fat, high-calorie junk foods and add more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats to your diet. By working out and reducing body fat, you can lose those batwings twice as fast.

Your exercise plan should combine aerobic and strength training. Be sure to talk to your doctor, though, before you start any new exercise program.

The more food you eat, the more exercise you will need to burn it off. Raising your heart rate with aerobics will help you burn fat all over, including your arms. The goal is to raise your pulse and breathing rate, and break a light sweat.

Strength training will help you build your triceps, the muscles in the back of your arm. This way, your triceps will look tight and defined after you lose the surrounding fat.

Try this
Brisk walking is an aerobic workout that can burn calories. But you can do double-duty with cardio exercises that also use your arm muscles. Tennis, swimming and indoor rowing are ideal for that.

Strength training involves using weights or doing exercises that require resistance. For results, you'll need to do a workout that combines several exercises for 20 minutes, two to three times a week. See the examples below.

Wall push-ups

You can do push-ups on the ground, but if you are a beginner, try doing them against the wall at first.

• Face the wall, standing a little farther than arm's length.
• Place your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height and shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your elbows as you move your upper body slowly toward the wall. Keep your feet planted.
• Pause, and then slowly push yourself back until your arms are straight. Don't lock your elbows.
• Do this 10 times. Rest for a minute or two. Then repeat 10 more times.

Triceps extension

• With a weight in one hand, bend that arm up to your shoulder. Use your other arm to support the working arm above the elbow.
• Raise the working arm overhead and straighten it, palm facing in.
• Hold this for one second and slowly bend and lower that arm behind your back. Keep supporting this arm with your other.
• Repeat the bending and straightening eight to 15 times. Inhale going down, exhale on the way up.
• Do the same on the other arm.
• Rest and then repeat this exercise on both arms.

Do these exercises regularly and you won't have to endure any grandchild jiggling your arms again.

View the original Flabby arms? Diet and exercise can help article on myOptumHealth.com 

SOURCES:

• Women's Heart Foundation. Strength training for women. Accessed: 11/13/2008

• National Institute on Aging. Strength exercises. Accessed: 11/13/2008

• Centers for Disease Control. Growing stronger - Strength training for older adults. Accessed: 11/13/2008