Good Ways to Tighten the Underarms and the Stomach

by Mary Ylisela

Flabby underarms and excess weight around your middle can make you feel self-conscious about your appearance. Strength training exercises can help you tighten the muscles on your underarms and stomach -- but you can't target fat. By combining strength training with cardiovascular exercise and a calorie-reduced diet, you can lose excess fat and tone muscles for better-looking arms and midsection.

Engage in Cardiovascular Exercise

Regular cardiovascular exercise is necessary to lose weight all over, which will lead to fat loss around your underarms and stomach. A range of 150 to 300 minutes of cardio per week is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You don't have to complete this in long, daily sessions. Even 10-minute sessions, several times throughout the day, can help you lose weight. Burn 250 to 500 calories daily to lose a half to one pound per week. It's important to choose cardio activities that you enjoy so you'll be more likely to stick with your exercise routine. Workouts such as tennis and swimming engage the arm and stomach muscles in addition to burning about 500 calories per hour. But you can also walk briskly to burn 250 calories per hour, or jog or ride your bike -- both of which burn around 500 calories per hour.

Perform Underarm-Toning Exercises

Strength training exercises won't help you lose underarm or stomach fat specifically, but they will tone those areas and help increase your metabolism as you build muscle. Two to three 20-minute sessions per week will help you tone your underarm and stomach areas. The underarm area, or triceps, can be a problematic area. Include triceps extensions to tighten and tone the muscles on the underarm area and back of your arm. Stand or sit on a stability ball to also engage your stomach muscles while holding a dumbbell with both hands. Raise the dumbbell above your head with your elbows facing forward. Lower the dumbbell behind your head, and then bring it back up again until your arms are straight without locking your elbows. Repeat for a total of eight to 12 repetitions, using a weight heavy enough to fatigue the muscles. Include bench presses, triceps kickbacks and triceps pushdowns to work your underarm area.

Include Stomach-Toning Exercises

Strength training exercises are good for tightening the stomach; include them in your twice- or thrice-weekly strength training sessions. Perform bicycles by lying on your back with your fingertips resting lightly against the sides of your head. Keep your left leg straight while bending and raising your right knee so your lower leg is parallel with the floor. Contract your abs while bringing your left elbow and right knee toward one another. Repeat with your right elbow and left leg. Switch back and forth to complete 12 to 24 reps on each side. Add front planks, wood choppers and supermans to your stomach-tightening routine.

Follow a Healthy, Calorie-Reduced Diet

A healthy, calorie-reduced diet will assist you in losing excess weight all over, as well as around your underarms and stomach. Reduce your daily intake by 250 to 500 calories to lose a half to one pound per week. Enjoy foods that are good for you, such as lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and lowfat dairy. Rather than eating three large meals per day, consume five to six small ones to avoid feeling hungry and keep your metabolism boosted.

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