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Don't be a sag bag: Tighten and tone your bod!
If age and gravity are playing havoc with your body and pulling everything downward, it's time to get uplifted! Sagging breasts, bottoms, tummies and arms are unsightly and these areas are also the most prone to getting out of shape. A combination of cardiovascular training, tightening, toning and sculpting exercises along with a healthy diet will see you shape up within a couple of months. Now let's get going.
Your problem spots have two layers to concentrate on:
- The loose flab on top that you see, which is fat.
- The underlying muscles that have gone soft and out of shape.
So what can you do about it? Here's the three-rung programme you need to follow if you're going to make any headway with your sag bags.
Burn the flab!
Get moving! Walk, cycle, swim or do aerobics, depending on the exercise you enjoy most.
The fatty tissues need to be burnt to get rid of the top layer of flab through heart-racing cardio excercises. When the heart rate goes up, oxygen gets circulated through the body faster, busting the fat it comes in contact with.
For the fat burn to become effective, you need to exercise 4-5 days a week and work out at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes. It should be challenging for you.
Trim down your diet too
Not only do you have to burn fat, you need to prevent accumulation of fat by eating right. Here are a few pointers to get you to your goal:
- Eat a large breakfast, a small mid-morning snack, a medium-sized lunch, an evening snack and a light dinner. Giving your body frequent meals raises the metabolism, helping you to burn more fat. A light dinner is pretty much the key to weight-loss.
- Cut out fats like sweets, fried foods, fast foods, colas and sugar.
- Add plenty of fresh veggies and fruit to your diet.
- Don't remain hungry. Starving your body is a recipe for disaster! Just remember to indulge in nutritious foods.
Let's get down to the sculpting and shaping exercises. There are plenty, but I've listed the most effective ones for each of the common problem areas.
You need to do 2-3 sets of each exercise, comprising 12-16 repetitions, 3-4 days a week. Do remember to do a short warm-up before you start, like walking, climbing stairs or dancing for about 5 to7 minutes at a medium pace. Move on to the next page to get started!
Brinda Sapat is head of the Group Exercise Department at Gold's Gym, Napean Sea Road, Mumbai. Certified with Training Zone & Progressive Fitness (USA), she has been a fitness instructor for over a decade.
Firm up your breasts
These exercises will tone and tighten the chest muscles that lie beneath the breasts, helping to add a slight lift to the bust.
Push-ups
Wave goodbye to the push-up bra with this one!
Lie on your tummy. Raise yourself and place your palms on the floor, in line with your shoulders, elbows bent and fingers facing forwards. Keep your tummy muscles tight and pressing your knees to the floor, push yourself up till your arms are straight . As you push up, dig the heels of the palms into the floor and squeeze your chest muscles to lift you up. In this position, your body needs to be in an inclined plane: head, shoulders, hips and knees in a diagonal straight line. It is important that your hips don't lift too high or too low out of alignment to prevent strain on the back. Slowly lower to start position and repeat.
Chest flyes
This is a cleavage enhancing exercise.
You will need a pair of 3 kilo dumbbells.
Lie on a bench if you have one, or on the floor. Bend both knees and place your feet flat on the bench, keeping your tummy muscles contracted. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your hands straight up at eye level. The palms should be facing in towards each other. Now keeping your elbows out to the side, slowly lower the arms down and out to the sides at shoulder level; then slowly raise them up as you squeeze the chest muscles. Imagine yourself hugging a huge teddy bear. Repeat.
Wave goodbye to 'bye-bye arms' and say hello to sexy shoulders
Nothing like chiselled shoulders and arms to add oomph to your physique. The best part is that the effects of exercise yield results quickest on this part of the body.
Lateral raises
Grab a pair of 2 kilo dumbbells in each hand. Stand with your feet a little more than hip distance apart. Tighten your tummy muscles and keep your back flat. Start with your hands hanging down by your sides, palms facing your thighs. Raise the dumbbells up, squeezing the top of the shoulders till the hands are in line with the shoulders. You must make sure your shoulder, elbow and wrist are all in one straight line. The elbow should not drop. Slowly lower and repeat.
Hammer curls
This exercise is for your biceps.
Hold 3 kilo dumbbells in each hand. Let your arms hang down at your sides, palms facing the thighs. Tuck the elbows into your waist. Lift your arms up to the shoulders, squeezing your biceps. Slowly lower and repeat. The movement mimics a hammering down action.
Tricep dips
This one is the 'bye-bye arm' buster!
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat in front of you. Place your hands behind you; your fingers should be turned in towards your body. Bend your elbows till they form a 90 degree angle. Now push your hands against the floor and lift your hips off it as you straighten the elbows, squeezing the back of your upper arm as you do so. Slowly lower and repeat. The concentration has to be on the bending and straightening of the elbows.
Dispose off those spare tyres
This next set of exercises is for the stomach, waist and hips -- the most common complaint zone
Upside-down crunches
This is more challenging than regular crunches and feels great.
Lie on your tummy. Push yourself up on your elbows and toes. Keep your body in a straight line. Tighten the abs and hold this 'plank' for 30-60 seconds. Relax and repeat.
Go back into the plank position for upside-down crunches. Squeeze the abs really tight as you would in a regular crunch. You should find your back (not the hips) rounding upwards. Then flatten out into the plank. Repeat. Each rep should be for about 4 seconds.
T-stand and waist crunches
Lie on your right side and come up on your hand with your arm straight. Straighten out the left arm to the side at shoulder level. Keep your right knee bent, left leg extended and lift your hips up. Your body forms an inclined T. Hold the T-stand for 15-30 seconds. Relax and repeat.
Get back to the T-stand position. Slowly lower your hips toward the floor and lift them up again as you squeeze the right side of the waist. Repeat.
Once you have completed your sets for the right, repeat for the left side.
Reverse plank
The reverse plank tightens the lower back, hips and back of the thighs.
Lie on your back. Come up on your hands, fingers facing in towards your body. Your body should be in a straight diagonal line. Tighten your back and hips. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds. Relax and repeat.
Shape up your derriere
This butt crunch series will make you feel it working straight away!
Butt crunches
Lie with your knees bent, the heels digging into the floor. Place your arms by your sides. Squeeze your butt and lift it off as you push your heels in. Slowly lower and repeat.
After you are done with 16 reps, take the right leg off the floor and place the right ankle on your left knee, while maintaining the same butt-lifting and squeezing movement. You will feel the left hip working. After 16 reps, place the left ankle on the right knee to work the right hip for 16 reps.
Now take the right leg straight up towards the ceiling for 16 reps, working the left hip. Then switch legs for the last 16 reps.
Leg raises
Come up on all fours into the doggy position. Keep the tummy tight and back flat. Extend the left leg on the floor behind you with the foot flexed. Squeeze your butt and raise the leg off the floor till it is as high as it can go, maintaining a flat back. Slowly lower. Repeat. After you finish all your sets on the right, switch legs.
For thunder thighs
Lunges are fabulous for giving great shape to the thighs. Here are two variations of the lunges.
Concentrated lunges
Take a large stride, with at least a 3 foot gap between the front and rear foot. Hold 3 kilo dumbbells in both hands. Bend both knees and slowly lower your body towards the floor. Squeeze your thighs and come up to start position. Repeat. The movement is up and down, not front and back. Your knee should never go forward past andover your toes. Switch legs when you complete all your sets with one.
Dynamic lunges
Follow the same technique as above but keep alternating the legs.
Round off your toning workout with light stretches to open out the muscles and prevent any soreness.
Keep up with the exercise and healthy eating routine and your sag bags will soon be gone!