Aging can cause skin to sag or become loose. Losing a significant amount of weight can help your arms slim down, but then you may be staring at loose, flabby skin when you look in the mirror. You may feel like all your hard work was unsuccessful, but you can tighten up that loose flabby skin.
Identification
After weight loss, you may notice that you have skin that hangs on the back, side or front of your upper arm. This excess skin can really show its presence when you wave good-bye. The skin may also have a wrinkled appearance, and possibly stretch marks.
Size
The amount of loose skin on your arm will depend upon how much weight you lost. Those who are very obese will have more loose skin with a significant weight loss because the skin was stretched so much. If you were just a little overweight and lost 20 lbs. to get within a healthy weight range, you won’t have as much loose skin on your arms.
Prevention/Solution
Weight lifting can help firm and tone the skin on your arms. You have loose skin because it was previously stretched to a point that made it lose elasticity. When you lost weight, your skin deflated, so to speak. By lifting weights, you can fill your arms out with muscle, which will help firm up your arms.
Warning
Do not attempt to lift more weight than you can handle, as this can lead to injury. Always ensure you have a spotter when lifting weights. Do not continue to work out if it becomes very difficult and extremely painful; this may indicate a torn muscle.
Considerations
Eat healthy while working out. Make sure you’re consuming plenty of protein, as protein helps your muscles recover after weight lifting. Be sure to include meat, nuts and other sources of foods that are rich in iron. Iron helps carry oxygen to your blood, which is important when you’re lifting weights. Get plenty of rest each night. Your body uses sleep as a time to repair itself, and it gives you energy for the next day.
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