As we age, several body changes occur. Two of the most frustrating for those trying to keep themselves looking young are an increase in body fat due to our slowing metabolism and a decrease in muscle tone. Although this affects the whole body, many people notice it in their upper arms and feel too embarrassed to wear short-sleeved tops. To battle your bat wings, you need to fight with two weapons: aerobic exercise to burn fat and strength training to tone muscle.

Aerobic Exercise

Any exercise that uses the larger muscles of the body and keeps you moving for 20 to 60 minutes is considered an aerobic exercise. This includes walking, dancing, jogging, swimming, water aerobics and cycling. Try to perform at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity most days of the week. Judging your workout intensity can be done by checking your heart rate, but an easier method is to talk. During most of your workout, you should be able to speak short sentences. If you can't say more than a couple of words without gasping, ease up a bit. If you can carry on a full conversation without trouble, it's time to increase the intensity.

Modified Push Ups

Push ups may give you bad memories of high school gym class, but they work several muscles in the arms and chest. Changing the position of your hands allows you to target the back of your arms. Instead of placing your hand with your fingers forward, turn your hands so the tips of your fingers point inward. The tips of your fingers should be about six inches apart. If you can't do a full, military-style pushup, bend your legs at the knees or do the push up against a wall to make it easier. When doing push ups, keep your back flat, your stomach tight and your head in line with your spine.

Triceps Extension

For this exercise you'll need a set of 3- to 10-pound hand weights. The weights should weigh enough to allow you to complete 10 to 15 repetitions of an exercise, but leave the targeted muscle feeling slightly fatigued. With your weights in hand, stand with your back straight and knees slightly bent. In the beginning position, the weights are in your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing straight up to the ceiling. Keeping your body and upper arms still, raise the weights until they are above your head. Do not lock your elbows. Slowly lower the weights back to the beginning position and then repeat 10 to 15 times.

Triceps Kickback

With a weight in one hand, lean over a bench or chair and support yourself with the other hand. In the beginning position of this exercise, your upper arm is by your side parallel to the floor with your elbow touching your waist and bent at a 90-degree angle. Slowly extend the weight back until your arm is almost straight, then slowly lower the weight down until the arm is bent to 90 degrees. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Never lock your elbow in this exercise and focus on keeping your upper arm parallel to the floor.

Reclined Triceps Extension

Lie with your back on the floor. Your legs can be bent or straight, whichever is more comfortable for you. With your weights in hand, rest your hands on the floor just above the top of your head and your elbows pointing directly to the ceiling. Slowly lift your hands until your arms are almost completely extended, then slowly lower them back down to the starting position. Keeping your upper arms still adds to the intensity of this exercise. Never lock your elbows when your arms are extended.

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