Seven Tips to Help Reduce Armpit Fat

The buildup of fat under the arms is unsightly. However, with a proper diet and exercise, you can reduce it. In addition, it's important to choose the proper clothes to wear.

Written and verified by psychologist Valeria Sabater.

Last update: 10 October, 2022

When some women put on a bra, they notice a little excess fat under their arms around their armpits. Firstly, we should explain that this is an extremely common problem for women, regardless of their weight or age.

The armpits are areas of the body where there’s a tendency to accumulate excess fat. Furthermore, the fat can extend to your back, forming annoying rolls that are obvious when you wear tight clothing.

In this article, we’ll tell you how to reduce its appearance with exercise and a healthy diet.

Why does armpit fat appear?

Just as we accumulate excess fat in the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, and calves, it can also gather in the back, chest, and armpits.

According to a study conducted by the Complutense University of Madrid, genetics could play an important role in preventing certain types of obesity, as well as the way in which it’s distributed.

Let’s stake a look at the most common causes of the accumulation of fat under the armpits.

• Loss of firmness in the arms due to age or lack of exercise.
• Axillary breast tissue. This excess tissue is known as polymastia or supernumerary breasts. According to some studies, it only affects around six percent of people with armpit fat.
• A lipoma. This is a non-cancerous accumulation of fat. It can be removed by surgery and doesn’t cause any major problems.

Tips for reducing armpit fat

If fat in this region is also located on your back and prevents you from wearing certain types of clothing due to its unsightliness, don’t worry. You can follow some simple tips that’ll also help improve your quality of life.

1. Diet

We’re going to recommend a series of foods that, when incorporated into your diet on a regular basis, can be beneficial to your health. However, there are no specific foods that can help reduce or avoid excess armpit fat.

• Whole-grain carbohydrates (oats, brown rice, and pasta).
• Leafy green vegetables as they have high iron content.
• Legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas. They favor gastrointestinal transit due to being rich in fiber.
• Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons. According to this study, they have a high antioxidant content.
• Avocados. They contain a lot of vitamin E and also healthy fats, something that’s not common in other fruits.
• Berries. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. They’re rich in antioxidants.
• Olive oil. It lowers LDL cholesterol and increases HDL, according to a study conducted by the Hospital La Inmaculada in Almeria (Spain).
• Chia seeds. They reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease.

2. Fat-burning drink

Although it’s been suggested that this drink can help fight excess armpit fat, there’s no scientific evidence to support the claim. However, if you want to give it a try, here’s the recipe.

• 2 artichokes.
• 1 liter of water.
• 3 slices of pineapple.
  
• The juice of 1 lemon.
• 5 chopped almonds.

Method

• Boil the artichokes in the water.
• Blend the pineapple with the lemon and almonds.
• Mix the artichoke water with the other ingredients.

3. Exercises to strengthen the arms

You’ll need to dedicate about 30 minutes a day to these exercises to tone and strengthen your arms. All you need are hand weights or dumbbells. Also, make sure you wear comfortable clothes.

• Start by lying face down and then lift your trunk with the help of your arms, arching your body. Repeat twenty times to increase resistance.
• Next, lying on your back, lift the dumbbells about 20 times. Repeat the cycle for half an hour.

4. Try the plank

Doing plank exercises is no easy task, as they demand plenty of stamina and skill. Nevertheless, if you can dedicate 15 minutes to this exercise every day, you’ll eventually see results. Your arms and abdomen will be stronger.

First of all, lie down on your stomach. Next, lift your body using only a single arm and the tips of your toes. Hold this position for one minute before repeating with the other arm.

5. Exercises to tone the muscles in the back and chest

You also need to firm up the muscles in the area between your back and your chest. For this, we recommend two really useful exercises.

Rowing: In gyms, there are rowing machines, but at home, you can use a resistance band. Put it under your feet and pull the band back and forth as if you were rowing. Repeat 15 times.
Push-ups.: There are several positions. The further apart your hands, the greater the effort of your shoulder muscles.

6. Other exercises for burning fat

In general, what you need is to burn a little of your accumulated fat, both under the armpits and in other parts of your body. Among the best exercises to do this are:

Burpees. They’re a fairly complete exercise and are pretty demanding. Begin in a squatting position, with your hands flat on the floor, in front of you. Kick your legs back into the plank position, then jump up and return to the squat position.
Jump squats. Stand with your hands behind your head. Lean back as if you were going to sit down then jump straight up.
Suicide drills. They’re often used in basketball training. You run a short distance and bend down to touch the ground. Repeat along a corridor or outside. Alternate your hand that touches the ground. End with a run at full speed.

7. A good bra will hide armpit fat

If you’re the right weight, you’re in good health, and your muscles are firm, but the only downside is that you have unsightly armpit fat, no problem. Maybe you just need to choose a good bra.

Avoid those with small cups as, in addition to not giving enough support they’ll cause folds of fat to appear which will show through your clothes. Look for the ones with superior side coverage. They have larger cups and wider straps. In fact, they completely contain your breasts.

General well-being and self-acceptance

Although armpit fat may irritate you, there’s no reason to obsess over it. Accepting your own body is key to your well-being. However, if you want to improve it, follow our tips.

Indeed, these tips well worth taking into account as they’re simple and will help improve your quality of life in general. They’re not only for eliminating armpit fat.

That said, if you’re worried about your armpit fat and think it may have an underlying cause, don’t hesitate to see your doctor. They’ll be able to give you good advice.

Read it in Step To Health

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