Tone that tricky upper arm and you'll be free to wave at anyone and everyone
When you start a fitness programme in a bid to lose weight, it's great to start seeing pounds and inches drop off.
However, there are some areas of the body that remain stubborn, even though you're working hard and exercising regularly.
The upper arms are problem areas for lots of women and will often result in complaints about the dreaded "bingo wings".
Personal trainer Vin Ricciardi told Women's Fitness that flabby arms can happen as a result of hormones.
"The activity of lipoproteins in the upper body begins to increase slightly in women in their late 30s and early 40s. This results in excess fat beginning to rise," he explained.
Fellow fitness expert Namita Nayyar agreed, but added that many people unwittingly ignore areas like the arms because they are preoccupied with other body parts like the thighs and tummy.
Weight Loss for All suggested that some really targeted toning exercises should help to build up muscle tone and give you upper arms to be proud of.
It pointed out you can do these alongside your planned routine of aerobic exercise for weight loss.
"The triceps muscle at the back of the arm make up two-thirds of arm size so it would probably be best to work more at toning the tricep muscle of the arm," the website recommended.
About Weight Training said press-ups and simple tricep curls using light weights are a great way to get the muscles working. However, it reminded those keen to try it not to "cheat" by using the chest or abdomen to swing the weights and gain extra momentum!
You could also try dips, which involves sitting on the edge of a chair and lowering yourself down to the floor and then back up using only the strength of your arms - these are harder than they look, so only do about 12 repetitions to avoid straining yourself.
And finally, don't forget that you can tone those upper arms outside the gym by putting some oomph into your vacuuming or window-washing, or by doing a few curls with cans of beans whilst you wait for the kettle to boil.
"It's a matter of how often and how much you use these muscles that determines the strength and tone of your arms," Namita at Women's Fitness reminded us.
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