To lose weight in the upper body you will need to do cardio exercise to burn calories. It doesn't matter if you do exercises like rowing that target muscles in your upper body or climbing stairs that target your lower your body. Exercise will burn calories everywhere and there is no way to specifically make your body burn fat in any particular place, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Strength training and dietary changes will also help you lose weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that you can achieve a healthy weight through healthy eating and 60 to 90 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
Step 1
Eat only when you are hungry and do not miss a meal, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The center warns that eating for emotional reasons like stress or anxiety can lead to eating too much. Your body's natural rhythms may be off due to unhealthy eating habits, but it actually needs food every three hours says Dr. Pamela Peeke, the author of the national best-seller "Fight Fat After Forty." Dr. Peeke suggests combining protein and carbs in snacks, such as soy cheese and a pear or a smoothie.
Step 2
Begin doing moderate-intensity exercise for a total 150 minutes each week, as advised by the CDC. It is ok to begin with 10-minute long mini sessions. Moderate intensity means that your heart rate is raised and you are breathing harder, but you can still talk. Work up to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. Examples include hiking, dancing, and weight training.
Step 3
Add some high or vigorous intensity activity to your routine to increase weight loss, if this is cleared by your physician. The CDC recommends 75 minutes of high intensity exercise per week, such as running, swimming laps, and jumping rope, with two days a week of strength training. A combination of high and moderate intensity exercise can also be effective if a full 75 minutes of high intensity exercise feels like too much for you. Everyone is different and you should listen to your body.
Step 4
Lift weights, take a strength training class at a gym, hire a personal trainer, or follow a strength training DVD workout. The CDC suggests two days a week of full-body weight training for muscle strengthening as well as part of a weight loss program. This includes exercises for the legs, hips, abs, back, chest, shoulders, and arms.
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