Before you can conquer bat wings, back fat and thunder thighs, you have to know what causes them. First, bat wings, those flabby underarms that seem to flap in the wind when you’re wearing short sleeves, are the product of lack of muscle tone, aging skin and accumulation of fat. Back fat and thunder thighs, also come from excess weight and lack of toned muscles. You can help bat wings, back fat and heavy thighs by exercising those muscles groups, but ultimately, you can’t eliminate the fat that may be covering the muscle tissue unless you lose weight all over your body. Spot exercises will help tone the underlying muscles and burn calories, but it won’t destroy specific fat cells.
Start with the easiest to remedy, bat wings.
Sometimes, excess fat can also be part of the bat wing syndrome, but normally, it’s just a flabby underworked tricep muscle that’s the cause. Older people or those who have damaged skin with little elasticity often suffer from batwings, but they can still benefit from exercising their triceps and other muscle groups in the area and a healthy diet to lose weight and improve skin elasticity. A triangle pushup, is a regular push up, but your hands are on the ground in front of you with the index fingers and thumbs touching, which creates a triangle. You can even work on triceps in your office cubicle by performing a few chair dips. It will definitely get your blood pumping and be a welcomed break for the body.
Getting rid of back fat isn’t impossible, but it isn’t easy either.
If you hate the look of swimsuits and lightweight summer clothing because of the bulges and rolls around your back, you’re not alone. Back fat affects both men and women and isn’t remedied by exercise alone. The back muscles are part of the core muscle group, so exercising the core muscles is a start. Bad posture increases the potential for back fat, improving your posture can help. Weights, kettlebells and HIIT workouts that focus on core muscles help, but no matter how buff you get your back muscles, if they’re hidden by a thick layer of fat cells, you’ll still have rolls of back fat. Eating a healthy diet and shedding pounds is an important part of eliminating back fat. Exercise helps by not only toning muscles but burning more calories.
If you have large thighs, with excess cellulite, you have thunder thighs.
I know it’s not the most flattering name, but all my clients refer to their large thighs as thunder thighs and I latched onto that name. Large thighs are frustrating. Women are actually afraid of exercise for fear they’ll get even larger. What they don’t realize is that the problem isn’t the muscle, but the layer of fat tissue that hides the muscle. The solution for this problem is weight loss and exercise. Squats, lunges and even just walking or running can help build the muscle tone in your legs, but eating healthy, lowering caloric intake and shedding weight is also mandatory.
- Foods that can help eliminate cellulite include green tea, hot chili peppers, foods rich in Omega3 fatty acid—such as salmon, sunflower seeds and cilantro. Drinking plenty of water also helps.
- Just avoiding fried food, sugar, highly processed foods and alcohol can help you shed weight and eliminate any cellulite cottage cheese look on your back, thighs and arms.
- If you’re having trouble with cravings and overeating, improve your sleep pattern. Lack of sleep or a poor sleep pattern can lower leptin levels, the hormone that tells you when you’re full.
- Get plenty of fiber in your diet, healthy fat and lean protein. All three will help fill you up without adding excess calories. Consider avocado, nuts or cheese, it only takes a little to produce satiety.