As you age and skin loses its youthful elasticity, gravity begins to take its toll on the regions of your body where extra body fat is stored, especially the breasts. Sagging breasts due to gravitational force can afflict both men and women. For women, the skin-stretching effects of hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, breastfeeding and disuse of the chest muscles, make some sagging inevitable. While there is little you can do to restore skin elasticity, exercising the underlying muscle can lift the breasts and improve the contour and appearance of the chest.
Step 1
Position your body in a leaning-back position, feet flat on the floor, with the hips about 135 degrees. Holding dumbbells just in front of your shoulders with palms turned downward, slowly extend the elbows until the dumbbells touch at about eye level. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the start position. Repeat until you can no longer continue with control.
Step 2
Lie flat on a bench or mat with your feet flat on the floor, hold dumbbells at the shoulders, with wrists straight and knuckles up, in the goalpost position. Extend your elbows as you push the dumbbells toward the ceiling, allowing them to touch above your chest, Lower the dumbbells slowly with control to the start position. Repeat until you can no longer continue with control.
Step 3
Lie flat on a bench or mat, holding the dumbbells over your chest with elbows very slightly bent, palms facing. Maintain a constant degree of elbow flexion as you open the arms slowly from the shoulders, until the elbows are at shoulder level. Close arms from the shoulders to return to the start position. Repeat until you can no longer continue with control.
Step 4
Position your body in a "plank" by planting your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders with your elbows extended, and your body weight resting on the palms and toes. Do not allow your hips to sag or "tent." Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor until the elbows reach 90 degrees, maintaining a straight profile from ankles to shoulders. Extend your elbows and return to the start position. Repeat until you can no longer continue with control. Modify the exercise by supporting your body weight with your knees instead of the toes. Keep your hips flat with a plank profile from knees to shoulders.
Tips and Warnings
- For best results, perform chest exercises three times per week, allowing at least one day between exercise sessions for muscle recovery. You can use resistance tubing instead of dumbbells. When using tubing, maintain tension throughout your range of motion. Never allow the tubing to go slack. Always execute exercises with muscular control. Do not use momentum or gravity to generate movement.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells or resistance tubing
- Exercise bench or mat
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