This article will take you through the back fat exercises for women step by step. Despite the generalization of the phrase “fat” to mean all body fat, the body has several types of fat.
Although each type of fat has a different role, some types of fat or a higher percentage can have negative effects on your health. It can lead to life-threatening diseases like; type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, and cancer.
The acceptable body fat percentage by the American Council on Exercise ranges from 25-31% for women and 18-24% for men. Women require a higher body fat percentage to prepare for menstruation and childbirth. Individuals with a higher body fat percentage are prone to the above diseases.
We, therefore, find back fat exercise worth to embrace because of the increasing cases of obesity worldwide.
The back fat exercises for women in this article include; Yoga, Wall assisted handstand, Superman, Push-ups, Bend-over dumbbell rows, Reverse hip raises, Lateral arm raises, and Side forearm prank.
Before going into detail of back fat exercises, let us first look at what causes back fat.
As a matter of fact, the food we eat, the genes and the lifestyles determine where the body accumulates fats in our bodies.
In one study from UPPSALA University, published in Nature Communications, it was discovered that genetic factors influence where people store fat around the trunk or other parts of the body which was mostly observed in women compared to men.
Secondly, the foods that we eat also play a very big role in the accumulation of back fat. Foods that are high in carbs or sugars and fats can cause inflammation leading to the accumulation of fat on the back.
Thirdly the sedentary lifestyles where we don’t include any form of body activity like working, running also causes back fat accumulation.
Posture also has an effect on how the back muscles are aligned. According to a review in Quora.com by Andy perm, poor posture makes some muscles shorter where they should be long and longer where they should be short. This makes the muscles to bulge.
Is back fat hard to lose?
Like any other body part, spot reduction has never been an easy and effective way to lose weight. Similarly, our readers should know that there is no magic strategy or exercise to lose weight fast.
However, you can see the results in a few weeks; with a healthy diet, consistent cardio and strength training. Consistency is key in any area of weight loss.
Do back fat exercises really work?
Since back fat exercises use your body weight to challenge your upper body core, they strengthen and tone most of your back muscles to make them leaner. The leaner muscles burn more calories from your body and this eventually reduces back fat.
Below are the back fat exercises as per this article in detail.
1. Reverse hip raises
- Lie on the exercise ball with your belly, with your palms flat on the ground
- Press your legs together and move them up as you balance the ball. The ball must be stable as you make this move
- Hold on to the pose for a few seconds and then lower the legs to the start position
- Repeat this exercise as many times as you can; and each time, try to increase the time you hold the pose.
2. Lateral arm raises with dumbbells
- This one targets fat right below your neck.
- Stand upright holding dumbbells in each hand facing each other
- Slowly raise the arms with weights until the arms are at right angles with your body or parallel to the floor.
- Lower the arms slowly to the start position, have a deep breath and repeat as many times as you can.
3. Bend over dumbbell rows
- This exercise works the middle back, lats and shoulder muscles to make a sculpted back.
- Stand firm on the ground with the feet hip-width apart.
- With your knees bent and dumbbells in each, bend at the waistline so that your back is straight and at a 60-degree angle.
- Keeping in this position, bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells to your side with arms close to your body.
- Do as many lifts as you can.
4. Superman
- This targets your back and the glutes
- Lie on your stomach on the floor
- Stretch your body so that the arms and the legs are straightened
- Lift the straight legs and arms off the ground concurrently
- Hold this position for some seconds and then slowly lower back to the start position
- Repeat this as many times as you can
5. Wall assisted handstand
- This fully engages your back and shoulders
- Bend near a wall with the head between the elbows
- Raise your legs against the wall one by one
- Push the head off the floor with your arms
- Hold this position for as long as you can
6. Yoga
Yoga relieves stress and reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Since cortisol is an appetite stimulant, low levels of cortisol imply low food intake. The body will burn fat store for energy and in this case, back fat will be reduced.
You can learn more from the article: Can you lose weight by doing yoga
7. Push-ups
- Lie facing downwards with your palms touching the floor; shoulder-width apart
- Raise your body off the floor so that your body is supported by the palms and the feet hip.
- Pause in this position for a couple of seconds and slowly lower the body back to the starting position
- Repeat the exercise as much as you can
8. Side forearm prank
- This targets all core muscles in your upper body
- Lie down in the forearm plank with elbows under shoulders
- Squeeze tight your abs and raise the right arm straight in the air
- Turn your body to the side, in the position that the top footrests on the bottom foot
- Support the body off the ground on the forearm of the bottom arm and the bottom feet
- Hold this pause for a while and then return to the starting point
- Repeat using the other side of your body
Can yoga help you lose back fat?
Yoga may not necessarily target your back but rather the entire body fat; which will eventually reduce your back fat.
Yoga improves your mindfulness or how your mind relates to your body. This leads to healthy lifestyles and healthy eating; leading to weight loss.
Power yoga and vinyasa yoga are high intensive forms of training that involve your core, tone the body muscles and burn more fats.
Last but not least, yoga relieves stress and reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Since cortisol is an appetite stimulant, low levels of cortisol imply low food intake. The body will burn fat stores for energy and in this case, back fat will be reduced.
What should I eat to lose back fat?
The most effective way of eating to burn more fat is by creating a calorie deficit in our bodies. That is to say, calorie expenditure being higher than calorie intake.
On top of high intensive body activity, we should eat food rich in fiber and cut back on both high-calorie and high-carb foods such as; refined grains, sugary drinks, and artificial preservatives.
Examples of fat loss-friendly foods include;
- fruits
- vegetables
- lean beef
- legumes
- boiled potatoes
- salmon
- leafy greens and more.
What exercise equipment helps you get rid of back fat?
Some of the back fat exercise equipment include;
1.Dumbbells
See how to choose the best dumbbells from our article; the best dumbbells for women.
2.Yoga ball
We also have an article on 5 handpicked best exercise balls on the market. This article will also show you what to consider when choosing an exercise ball.
3.Exercise mat
Have a look at our recommended best exercise mats in this article. Having the correct exercise mat is the starting point of any type of exercise.
Bottom line
Like we discussed earlier in this article, spot reduction is not a recommended way of losing weight. It is important that one focuses on losing the general body weight.
Consistent body activity and healthy eating is the best way of losing excess body fat.
