When working out, many people focus on reducing waist circumference and building abdominal muscles but completely forget to exercise their back.
In fact, the load on your back in your daily activities is higher than that of your legs. Some humble tasks, such as bending over to tie shoelaces, lifting objects, cleaning or sitting down and using the computer can put a lot of pressure on your back.
If it is not well taken care of, your back can become more and more fragile, or bend and deform (commonly known as a hunchback). If you have a bad back, it will affect the rest of your body as well.
A healthy and straight back not only helps increase the overall strength of your body but also enhances your self-confidence. Especially for women, having a beautiful back can greatly increase their sexy index.
However, losing weight is not enough to have a perfect and sexy back. The following 7 exercises can effectively help to reduce your side and back fat.
1. Forward Bend
This exercise can help you stretch out your back and tighten sagging skin.
Start by standing up straight and keeping your feet apart. Then slowly lean your upper body forward without bending your knees and try to touch the floor with both palms.
It doesn’t matter if your palm can’t touch the floor completely when you first start practicing this exercise. You can try to touch the floor with your fingertips. As long as you can feel the tension on the back of your legs. As your flexibility improves, your hands will be able to reach a lower position.
Try to do 2-3 sets a day and 10-15 reps per set.
This exercise can not only stretch your buttocks, calves, hamstrings and lower back but also enhance the strength of your thighs and knees and make your spine flexible.
In addition, this action also helps to reduce stress, tighten the abdominal muscles and relax the muscles of your neck, spine and back.
2. Side Bend
This exercise can help eliminate fat on the side of your waist and make the lines on both sides of your body more symmetrical.
Take a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise one of your hands and place it behind your neck. Hold a dumbbell with your other hand and let it hang down towards the floor.
Then, bend your upper body sideways with the dumbbell while stretching the other side of your waist as much as possible. Keep it for 10 seconds and then return to an upright position. Change arms after repeating several times.
Try to do 3 sets and 15-20 reps per set.
This exercise mainly targets your external and internal oblique muscles, which are used to strengthen your abdominal wall. It can help tighten your abdominal muscles and shape a tight waist, while also correcting posture and improving body stability.
3. Push-ups
Whether you exercise or not, you must know how to do push-ups. It is the best way to improve body strength and tighten the muscles of your whole body.
Start by getting into the plank position with hands slightly beyond the width of your shoulders. Start lowering your body until your chest is close to the floor. After a short pause, push yourself to the starting position.
Note that your body must be kept straight during the whole process and your hips cannot be pushed up. Otherwise, the effect will be greatly reduced.
Try to work up to 3 sets a day and 20-30 reps per set.
Push-ups are an exercise that is great for your body. They can increase the tension and strength of your whole body’s muscles, not just the muscles that shape your back.
At the beginning of the practice, if your arms don’t have enough strength, you can practice on a table or a chair. After the strength of your arms increases, gradually lower the height of your position.
4. Bow Pose
This exercise can be a tough one for novices. At first, you may feel that your body is very still, making it difficult to complete the action. However, If you keep practicing for a period of time, your body’s flexibility will be greatly improved.
Begin by lying on your stomach, on the floor, with your arms bent at both sides of your body. Then use your arms to prop up your upper body and raise your head, while keeping the part below your abdomen close to the floor.
If you want to take on an extra challenge, try to lift your back up and slowly raise your head. Now try to lift up your legs, bringing your heels close to your hips. Use both hands to grab your ankles. Try to hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
The bow exercise not only strengthens your back muscles but also stretches your ankles, thighs, abdomen, groin, chest and hip flexors. It helps increase your flexibility and stretch your entire body.
5. Superman Pose
This is a relatively simple but very effective exercise that can tighten the loose skin on the sides and back of your body.
First, start by lying on your stomach on the floor. Stretch your feet and arms. Then bend your back upwards while raising your limbs. This pose looks like Superman in flight, doesn’t it?
Hold this position for 10 seconds, and then return to the starting position.
Try to do 3 to 4 sets a day and 15 to 20 reps per set.
This exercise can help increase the strength of your lower back, prevent back pain and improve posture.
6. A Stability Ball Exercise
This exercise is actually very simple and effective. It’s not as complicated as it looks.
To perform this exercise, you need a stability ball.
First, lay your belly on the ball and spread your legs shoulder-width apart while putting your hands behind your head. Now raise your head and keep your neck and back straight. Try to hold this position for 5 seconds. Then lower your shoulders and upper back so that your chest rests on the ball.
Do 1 set a day and 15-20 reps for the best result..
This exercise not only helps to improve your back strength and body flexibility but also improves the tension of the muscles in your whole body.
7. Bridge Pose
The bridge pose is one of the most common asanas in yoga and is an indispensable exercise to improve posture.
First, lie on a yoga mat with your knees bent. Place your feet on the floor and open them to the same width as your hips. Place your arms at your sides. Then use the strength of your legs, waist, abdomen and back muscles to slowly lift your buttocks up, so your body is in a straight line. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly return to the starting position.
There are many benefits of bridge exercises. These benefits include helping to reduce shoulder and back pain, increasing back strength, stretching the muscles of the front of your thigh and buttocks, tightening the muscles of your waist and back, tightening sagging buttocks and increasing the flexibility of your whole body.
If you are already proficient in the half-bridge exercise, you can try the full-bridge exercise (as shown below).
The above exercises are the most effective exercises for shaping your waist and back. However, there are many other ways to help you reduce your side and back fat.
Of course, you can’t expect to see the results after doing these exercises once or twice. The key is to persist and not give up.
In addition, don’t forget to eat a healthy diet, which is very important for eliminating fat, maintaining weight and improving your overall health.
If you rarely exercise, you may feel stiff when you start these exercises. Don’t worry and don’t force yourself to complete the whole set of movements. Otherwise, you may hurt yourself.
It’s always a good idea to consult with a doctor or personal trainer when you start any new exercises.
As long as you keep practicing every day, step by step, from easy to difficult, you will slowly find that your body will become more and more flexible and you will have a beautiful back.
