Let’s face it: most of us are not keen on having excess fat on our bodies. Sure it’s okay to have some curves here and there but when they’re everywhere, we have a problem. Blame it on the magazines, TV commercials, and runway shows that feature skinny models because their body type has become the new standard of sexy. Too much fat is not a sight to behold. Add to that the fact that it has a negative effect on our health. As a matter of fact, recent studies have shown that obesity triggers plenty of health conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Obesity does not just have a negative effect on a person’s morale and self-confidence; it can also affect that person’s health. These days, we see a lot of obese people, and it’s as if they’re not at all bothered by it. Sure we must love people from all shapes and sizes, but we must also consider the negative effects that obesity has on that person’s health. Another pressing issue that’s being ignored these days is back fat. It’s often neglected because it’s literally at our backs and we can’t see it. It’s an issue that should be addressed as well.
Blame it on the Bra
We’re hearing about “back fat” now because it’s only come to our attention recently. When someone walks your way, you admire that person’s appearance but once that person walks past you, you notice weird bulges at the side or back of their shirt. Back fat is not just fat at the back of your body; it’s also fat located at your buttocks, lower back, around the tummy, upper back, near the spine, or around the shoulders.
1. When you don’t wear it properly.
The bra gives your breasts support but it’s also the number one cause of back fat especially when it’s not worn properly. Most of the time, women commit this mistake. When they wear the bra, they put both arms through the bra straps and then reach for their back side to fasten it, but they forget to pull down and anchor the bra below the shoulder blades. When you don’t adjust the straps of your bra, it can creep up and push your skin up, which then causes back fat. The solution to this problem is easy: wear your bra properly.
2. The big band bra.
When your bra has a big band size and is too loose, this can also cause back fat. When buying a bra, it’s important to make sure that you get the right band size so it anchors itself and stays in place throughout the day.
3. When it’s too skimpy.
When the bra band is too tight, it causes the skin to bulge, which also leads to back fat. Choose a bra with a wide band that’s not too tight or too loose so it can hug your body perfectly.
Lifestyle and Health Factors that Cause Back Fat
There are also different lifestyle and health factors that cause back fat. It’s important to know what these factors are so you can easily get rid of back fat.
Age
Another factor that causes back fat is age. As we grow older, the skin’s elasticity and firmness goes down. This is inevitable since it’s part of our skin’s aging process.
Diet
Pay close attention to the food you eat and the fluid that you drink. Are you eating healthy, or are you only trying to satisfy your taste buds? Are they processed and loaded with preservatives or are they raw and organic? If most of the food you eat come in colorful packaging from fast food joints, then you’re just eating junk. Sure they taste great, but at the end of the day, they’re not healthy. They are high in sodium, carbohydrates, added sugar, fats, and calories. While it’s true that some of these will help your body function properly, you’ll only end up with tons of fat when you try to source these nutrients from fast foods. Ever wonder why fast food enthusiasts are overweight? Its’ because they’re eating too much fat.
Over-the-counter drugs can also cause back fat and obesity. It’s not really a pressing issue because once you stop taking these medicines, the back fat will eventually disappear.
Daily Activities
Most of us are working desk jobs and leading sedentary lifestyles. Every year, we promise that we’ll be more active but lo and behold, we’re swamped with paperwork and deadlines every single day of the week. Technology advancements have made it even more difficult for us to engage in physical activities. We run for a bit, and then we look at our phones to check how many likes we have on different social media sites. We forget that it’s important to give our body a fuel source for various activities. Running, or walking burns the stored sugar and uses up the fats in our body. When we choose to sit around all day, our metabolism cools down and our bodies expand to accumulate the fat.
How to Get Rid of Back Fat
Fret not, for it’s not too late! We can still get rid of stubborn back fat! Now that we know what causes back fat, we can now talk about ways to remove it.
Work Out Routines to Remove Back Fat
Fact: most people exercise to lose weight. However, it’s difficult to lose weight in just one area of the body. It’s impossible. When you work out, you need to move your whole body to burn the stored fat. The results come after weeks or months of effort, of course. Once you’ve achieved the weight that you want, you can then concentrate on strengthening and toning specific parts of the body.
1. Pull-ups
This targets your: Biceps and back muscles
Pull-ups tone and sculpt all of our back muscles. You can start with the normal pull-up and then slowly work your way to more advanced versions. To do the normal or basic pull-up, you just need to have a firm hold of the bar with your palms facing outwards. Do ten sets with two repetitions. If you find this a little difficult, you can try the chin-up pose where your palms are facing you because that’s easier. The downside to doing the chin-ups, however, is that it doesn’t have any effect on the biceps so make it your second option. You can also try the TRX assisted inverted tow, assisted pull-ups, and negative pull-ups.
2. Push-ups
This targets your: Back and chest
You’re hitting two birds with this workout routine: you tone your chest as you get rid of the stubborn back fat. Just begin with the basic push-up position: palms are planted firmly on the ground and feet together. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body.
Make sure that your chest and abs are contracted. Hold the position for three seconds and then push against the floor to lift yourself up. Do ten sets.
3. Rowing machine
This targets your: Leg and back muscles
These machines have gained popularity recently and for good reason: the rowing movement does an excellent job at strengthening and toning the back muscles.
4. Dumbbell row
This targets your: Upper back and arms
Position your knee on a bench or a low table. Hold a dumbbell (at least three to five pounds) on one hand, and then slightly bend forward. Make sure that your back is flat as you pull your arm back. Make sure that your upper back is contracted and your other elbow is beside your body as you move. Do twelve repetitions and then switch arms after.
5. Upper body cycle
This targets your: Back and triceps
The upper body bike helps you tone your triceps as you get rid of lower back fat. Spend five minutes forward and then five minutes backward for best results.
It’s best if you can do these back fat exercises two to three times each week. Take note however, that you don’t need to do all of them at once. Pick three from the above-mentioned exercises and include them in your weekly workout routine. Through time, you may create variations to keep your workout sessions fun. These routines will improve your posture and give your back a sexy and toned look.
Cardio Workout
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), it’s important to do sixty minutes of cardio workout routines at least five times every week. This will remove the back fat in no time! To make things even more interesting, you may try interval training by alternating between pushing the body and recovery for that “afterburn effect”. This will help your body lose up to 200 calories after training. As a matter of fact, you still lose calories even when you’re already sleeping! This is much better than the traditional, steady-paced workout.
Some Yoga Poses to Help you Lose Back Fat
Yoga can help you relax, de-stress, and lose back fat. Other benefits that you can get from doing yoga asanas are:
- Immunity boost
- Inner peace
- Relief from stress
- Total body workout
- Improved energy
- Improved posture
- Weight loss (back fat included)
- Flexibility
Below are a few yoga poses that you can do to get rid of fat. As much as possible, spend thirty to sixty minutes on these yoga asanas. As your body gets used to the movement, you can increase to two hours of yoga daily. If you feel pain in any part of your body, stop immediately.
1. Side Fierce
This targets your – Quads, glutes, and upper back
Here’s how:
- Stand straight and keep your feet together
- Bend your knees and breathe in slowly
- Lower your hips and slowly raise both arms above your head
- Breathe out slowly as you cross your right elbow to the outer part of your left knee.
- Press your palms together as you push the bottom part of your elbow against the outer part of your thigh.
- Try to slowly rotate and lift the chest.
- Slowly pull the right hip while making sure the knees are together.
- Count from one to five, breathe in slowly, and lift your chest as you do this.
- Breathe out and this time, cross your left elbow to the outer part of your right knee.
- Count from one to five again, and inhale slowly.
2. Warrior
This targets your: Back and shoulders
Here’s how:
- Stand firmly on a mat.
- Keep your feet together.
- Transfer your weight to your left leg and slowly move your right leg backwards.
- Control your torso and make sure it stays parallel to the floor as you move your legs.
- Raise both arms and extend them in front of you.
- Stay in this position for three seconds.
- Breathe in slowly.
3. Half Moon
This targets your: Back and obliques
Here’s how:
- Move your right foot forward while keeping it between your hands.
- Slowly lift yourself up.
- Spread your chest, hips, and arms to do the Warrior pose.
- Place your left hand on your left him and extend your right arm.
- Transfer your weight to your right foot and then slowly lift your left foot.
- Slowly bend your right knee but make sure that your right palm stays on the ground just below your shoulder.
- Ensure that your weight is equally distributed between your right hand and your right foot.
- Focus on a spot at the ground while lifting your left arm.
- Stay in this position for five seconds.
- Breathe in slowly.
4. Straight-Arm Triangle
This targets your: Legs and upper body
Here’s how:
- Move your right foot forward.
- Make sure that your leg stays straight as you stretch your right hand.
- Extend until you reach beyond the toes of your right foot.
- Slowly lower your right hand and touch the ground.
- Position it near the front of your shin.
- Transfer your weight back to your heels.
- Form a triangle by extending the upper hand over your ears.
- Ensure that the hand stays parallel to the ground.
- Extend the side of your ribs and pull your navel towards your spine as you do this.
- Stay in this position for five seconds.
- Breathe in slowly.
- Switch sides after.
5. Side Plank
This targets your: Abs, back, sides of your torso, and arms
Here’s how:
- Ensure that your big toes are near each other.
- Cross your right hand to the left part of your body.
- Roll over towards your right but keep your right heel anchored to the ground.
- Try to balance on the outer side of the right foot.
- Extend your left arm.
- Stay in this position for five seconds.
- Breathe slowly.
- Switch sides.
6. Dolphin Plank
This targets your: Back, arms, abs, and shoulders
Here’s how:
- Start the dolphin plank by lying on the floor or mat.
- Use your elbows to slowly lift yourself up.
- Extend your feet and try to reach as far as you can.
- Position your elbows directly below your shoulders.
- Stay in this position for five seconds.
- Breathe in slowly.
Things to Remember:
1. Choose the right clothes
This simple process can do wonders for your back fat. You begin to feel comfortable in your own skin without having to worry about the weird bulges on your back. Case in point: choosing the right bra. As discussed earlier, when the bra is too loose or too tight, it causes back fat. Choose a bra that fits you perfectly. This will make you look better and feel better.
2. Proper Diet
Keep a close eye on the quantity and quality of the food you eat. If you like to eat out most of the time, try to choose healthy foods instead of processed food. When you’re at home, try to prepare your own food and make sure that your ingredients are healthy and organic. For example, whip up a cherry chia chocolate smoothie or a spiced green tea. Go for fat-burning recipes to speed up your body’s weight loss process. Make sure that you eat during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but do not overeat. Eat small frequent meals as you go about your day. Stop drinking alcoholic beverages as much as possible. If you find that difficult to avoid, stick to one bottle of alcohol weekly. It’s difficult but remember that you need to do this to get rid of the bulge.
How to get rid of back fat is a common concern among women. No matter how old or how young a woman is, having excess fats is a problem. It’s not visually appealing and it leads to serious health concerns.
Easier said than done but don’t feel bad if you have back fat. The solution is simple: choose the right clothes, pick the right bra, eat properly, exercise regularly, and before you know it, the back fat is gone!
