If you carry extra weight around your breasts and back, you can suffer from back pain, sore shoulders and slouching. While it isn't possible to spot reduce, or lose weight from just one part of the body, there are exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles of your upper body. Exercises targeting these muscles, including the latissimus dorsi and deltoids in your back and the pectorals in your chest, can strengthen and tone those areas and help lift sagging breasts to give you a sleeker, slimmer appearance. These exercises combined with regular cardio exercise will help you lose bulk in your back and breasts.
On average, eating 500 fewer calories a day will help you lose about a pound a week.
Always consult your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen.
Exercise mat
2 light weights
2 medium weights
Step 1
Get on your exercise mat to do a modified pushup. Lie on your stomach and push up with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees on the mat. Keep your back straight and lower yourself slowly back to the mat. Repeat for a total of 10 reps. Complete one to three sets three times a week.
Step 2
Lie on your back with your legs apart, knees bent and feet on the floor to perform flat flyes. Hold your arms straight out and flat on the floor, holding a light weight in each hand. Without bending your elbows, bring your arms together in front of your chest until your hands almost touch. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 repetitions three times a week.
Step 3
Lie on your back with your knees bent, hands behind your head and feet on the floor to perform oblique curls. Take a deep breath and lift your torso off the mat in a situp as you exhale. With you hands behind your head and elbows bent, twist to touch your right elbow to your knees. Slowly lower yourself to the mat and repeat with your left elbow. Perform 10 repetitions with each elbow. Aim for one to three sets three times a week.
Step 4
Tone your upper back with a plank exercise. Move into a pushup position with your weight on your elbows instead of your hands. Keep your back straight and hold this position for three sets of 30 seconds each. Try to perform these three times a week.
Step 5
Stand up and bend 45 degrees at the waist with your knees slightly bent and a medium weight in each hand for back rows. Let your arms hang in front of you. Bend your arms and lift your elbows up and back so you feel a squeeze in between your shoulder blades. Slowly lower to the starting position. Perform three sets of 15.
Step 6
Bend 45 degrees at the waist with a light weight in each hand to do rear deltoid raises. Open your arms until they are in line with your body, keeping your elbows straight. Open your arms slightly wider until you feel a squeeze between your shoulder blades. Return to start and repeat for three sets of 15.
Step 7
Perform 150 to 300 minutes of cardio a week, such as swimming, elliptical exercise, biking or jogging, to lose weight all over your body, including the back and breasts. Some people with larger breasts find the impact of jogging painful, in which case swimming or elliptical exercise may be a better option.
Step 8
Cut out high-fat dairy, fatty protein, excess sugar and white bread or pasta and stick to a diet primarily of lean protein, fruits and veggies. This diet will help you maintain a slimmer body, and protein will help you build more lean muscle from your chest and back exercises.
Tips
Warnings
Things You'll Need
References
Resources
Tips
- On average, eating 500 fewer calories a day will help you lose about a pound a week.
Warnings
- Always consult your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen.
Writer Bio
Lindsey Robinson Sanchez, from Bessemer, Ala., has written for the "Troy Messenger," "The Alabama Baptist" and "The Gainesville Times," where her work was featured on the AP wire. She has a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the University of Florida. She writes style, beauty, fitness, travel and culture.