There's no denying that women feel confident when they look good, and these exercises will help you firm up your chest!
Gravity is a woman's worst enemy, because, with time, breasts generally tend to lose their firmness and begin to sag! While age is one of the main reasons that cause sagginess, there are a few other factors involved as well.
According to Postpartum Trainer, as you get older, your estrogen levels decrease. Since breasts are composed of estrogen-sensitive cells, they lose their shape. Your breasts also change sizes, especially if you've put on or lost weight. The same logic applies when you're pregnant. Finally, a decrease in collagen — a protein that provides structure to your skin, muscle, and bones — can also make it seem like your skin is loose.
There's no way you can prevent any of this from happening, but the good news is that you can add a few exercises as a part of your daily routine that might help. It is important to note that exercises might not change the shape of your breasts as they are made of fatty tissue, not muscle, but they will affect the chest muscle under your breasts and give an overall appearance of being lifted.
These are all exercises you can do at home with minimal equipment. Here are some exercises that can help you:
Originally known as Bhujangasana, the cobra pose will be something familiar if you've done yoga before. Start by lying down on your belly, and extend your feet with your toes pointing out. Your hands must be under your shoulder with your elbows tucked to your side, says Healthline. Press your hands to the ground and lift your upper body while the lower body remains in the same position. Hold for 30 seconds, and go back to the beginning.
This is one of the best full-body workouts that can be done with your own weight. For this, you have to place your palms on the floor along with your feet while the rest of your body balances on your extremities. Push yourself up, and then down, making sure your chest comes as close as possible to the ground. If this seems too hard, you can always do this with your knees resting on the ground.
A variant of the OG pushup, this targets only your arms and chest area. Stand a bit away from the wall with your arms placed at shoulder-width. There should be a slight slant to your position. Now, bend your elbows and get closer to the wall. Hold for 30 seconds, then go back up to the starting position. While this doesn't engage your whole body, it does target your chest and arm muscles.
Planks are a great workout for when you want to strengthen your core. For this, you get into position by lying down on your belly. Then, you extend your feet, with your toes pointing towards the ground. Next, you lift yourself up while your forearms are resting firmly. Hold for as long as you can, but - fair warning - you shall feel like your entire body is about to give up. Start slowly and increase the time you hold your plank.
Now that we've established how good planks are for you, let's make it even better by adding some dynamic movements to it. Start off with the plank position and then lift your right hand and right foot off the ground, and “step” one foot to the right. Do the same with your left side as well. One thing to keep in mind is to keep your core engaged throughout for maximum effect.
You might need dumbbells for this particular exercise, but if you don't have access to it, they can be replaced with a bottle of water. First, stand with your feet apart, but not too wide. Bend your elbows and bring your arms closer to your ear, making sure the dumbells (or water bottles) are parallel to the ground. Now, push your hands up and keep them as close as possible. Rest, and repeat.
Lie on your back, either on the bed or the floor, but the best way would be to lie on a bench. Now, bring your upper arms out to your side, and make sure it's parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows so the weights are parallel to your upper arms. Extend your arms and push them towards the midline of your body. Once your arms are fully stretched, hold for 30 seconds and then come back to the starting position.
References:
https://postpartumtrainer.com/chest-exercises-saggy-breasts/
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/breast-firming-exercises#cobra-pose
https://stylesatlife.com/articles/breast-tightening-exercises/
https://empoweredzine.com/10-best-exercises-for-breast-lifting/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos by (L) JGI/Tom Grill, (R) Thomas Barwick
