How to Tighten Loose Skin Under the Arms

Call it what you will--dough, wobble, chicken skin or bingo arms, that loose skin that often appears on the back of the arm causes many of us to despair. Found at the back and under the arm when the arm is held out away from the body, loose skin is a natural sign of aging and reduced muscle tone. However, some exercises may help to reduce the appearance of loose skin under the arm, results of which can often be seen in a matter of weeks.

Tone underarm flab by performing a variety of triceps exercises. The triceps muscle is a cluster or group of muscles found on the back of the arm and reaches from the shoulder joint to the elbow. One of the best exercises for tightening loose skin on the back of the arm is the triceps kickbacks. Using lightweight dumbbells (2 to 5 lb.), hold a weight in each hand. Bend forward at the waist. Work one arm at a time. Light the right arm at a 45 degree angle, keeping the elbow tucked close to the waist. Your back should be parallel to the floor, the elbow bent, arm level with the back and hand holding the weight tucked in close to the chest. Exhale and extend the hand with the weight behind you. Pause, then bring the weight back to its original position. Perform this exercise about 10 to 15 times, keeping the elbow tucked close to the body at all times. Feel the muscles in the back of the arm tightening and flexing.

Know that reverse push-ups are also a great exercise to tighten loose skin on the back of the arm. You can perform reverse push-ups, also known as bench dips, using a chair or the edge of a bed, but it should be a solid object that does not give. Sit on the edge of a chair, hands grasping the sides near the buttocks, fingers facing outward or curling over the side of the chair. Lift your butt off the chair and walk your feet out until your upper arms are holding you up. Walk your feet out just far enough to get your butt off the chair and maintain a 90 degree angle of the arms to the chair. Now, slowly lower your body toward the floor, keeping the knees bent and the arms at a 90 degree angle. Lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Hold for a count of three. Now, lift yourself back up. You'll really feel this exercise at the back of your arm. Do this exercise five to 10 times, depending on your current strength level.

Keep in mind that triceps extensions are also great for firming and toning that flabby muscle on the back of the arm. You can use 2 to 5 lb. dumbbells to start, gradually increasing weight as your arms get stronger. Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Grasp one heavy or two light dumbbells in the hands and slowly lift over the head, arms extended but not locked into place. Slowly lower the weights behind your head. For beginners, stop the weights at the back of the head. More experienced exercisers can lower the weights until they reach the back of the neck or the upper shoulder blades. Hold for a count of two. Now, lift the weights back up, keeping the elbows tucked closely to the face and above the shoulders. This is a great exercise that tightens and firms the ball of the tricep muscle. Perform this exercise five to 10 times, gradually increasing reps as you grow stronger.