5 Best Exercises for “Bra Bulge” After 50

Chris Freytag is a fitness and lifestyle influencer and the founder of Get Healthy U, a comprehensive fitness hub. In a recent viral video she gets real about bra bulge. “Yup - It happens as we age 🤪 Skin loosens and you feel like you get a little ‘spill over’ from your bra. Call it back fat, bra bulge, or whatever you want but by strengthening your back muscles, you will stand taller and tighten and tone!” she says. “I love to work my back - the exercises feel powerful!” Here is everything you need to know about the workout – and her other lifestyle habits.

Here Is the Workout

“Do each exercise 15 reps and repeat 2 times,” she recommends. “Do this workout 3 times a week and progress to heavier weights if you don’t feel muscle fatigue!!”

1️⃣ Reverse Grip Row

2️⃣ Single Arm Row

3️⃣ Straight Arm Press Back

4️⃣ Renegade Rows

5️⃣ Overhead Pulls

Workout Buddies

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In another post, Chris emphasizes the importance of workout buddies. “Increase your chance of success when it comes to reaching your fitness goals!!” she writes. “Maybe you have a friend you workout with or a family member who keeps you going. Maybe you have a gym with a squad you connect with. OR Maybe it’s an online group that motivates and inspires you!”

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Strength Training

Chris is a big fan of strength training. “Ladies – if you want that ‘lean and toned’ 💪 look, you are going to have to life weights and eat adequate protein! There is no way to build muscle besides doing the work! 

So many women complain they are getting flabby but the only way to change that is to lift weights. And guess what there are so many benefits to lifting weights as we age,” she wrote, listing the benefits, which include building self-confidence, getting through menopause easier, strengthening bones, burning more calories at rest, and improving energy and metabolism.

Consistency

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In another post she revealed that “the secret to success” with exercise is staying consistent. “Consistency starts by taking action! Showing up for yourself each and every day, even when you may not feel “motivated” to do so. Show up, sound the best you can and feeling accomplished when it’s all said and done!” she writes. “Consistency is NOT about pushing yourself to extreme measures or neglecting rest days! Consistency IS NOT what you do once, but it IS what you do repeatedly!”

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Yoga

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Chris also shares a lot of yoga workouts on her page. Why should you do yoga? According to Harvard Health, there is research backing up the many benefits. One study found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years gained less weight during middle adulthood. “People who were overweight actually lost weight. Overall, those who practiced yoga had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with those who did not practice yoga. Researchers attributed this to mindfulness. Mindful eating can lead to a more positive relationship with food and eating,” they said.

💪🔥Body Booster: You don’t have to settle for back! Doing a few targeted exercises can help tighten sagging skin and fat.

Dr. Lisa Folden is a physical therapist and body image coach who contributes to WeShape, a company devoted to helping people feel comfortable in their bodies. In one viral video, she offers five easy exercises that you can do at any age. “If you're a woman aged 51, I have five exercises you should be doing every single day to help keep you strong and build good bone density,” she says at the start of the video.

During Menopause, Hormones Change, and Bone Density Decreases

“You might wonder why 51? Well, that is the average onset of menopause for most women, and with menopause comes changing hormones and decreasing bone density, which makes us more at risk for falls and fractures. We don't need that,” she says in the video.

5 Exercises to Improve Bone Density

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“So follow me along for these five exercises, which are weight bearing and body weight exercises to help you maintain good bone density,” she says.

1. Wall Sit

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The first one is a wall sit. “You're going to get against a wall and rest your back. Walk your feet maybe 12 to 24 inches away from the wall based on your height. And then you're going to lower your body down until your knees are bent to about 90 degrees,” she says.

Engage Your Core

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“You're going to engage your core and simply hold here. Try holding for 30 seconds and repeating this five times,” she continues. “You'll feel a good burn in your quads, and your bones will definitely get the benefit of this load-bearing exercise.”

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2. Mini Squats

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The following exercise is a mini squat. “You're going to get in a position where your feet are about hip-width apart or just wider, and your feet are slightly turned out. You're going to engage your core, and you're just going to bend and come up to standing.”

Squeeze Glutes While Keeping Core Engaged

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“And we're not going down low, but every time we come up, we're squeezing the glutes, we're keeping our core engaged,” she says. “We're keeping our posture upright and tall, not bending over. Try to do 10 to 12 reps here, and if it feels good, repeat that twice.”

3. Deadlift

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The following exercise is a deadlift. “You're going to stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Your knees are really soft, not locked back. You're going to engage your core, and you're going to hinge forward at your waist, keeping your spine straight. Then you're going to activate your glutes and your hamstrings to bring you back up to standing, squeezing,” she says.

Again, Engage Your Core

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“You're going to repeat that motion down back is tall. The squeezing core is engaged. Try doing 10 to 12 of these and see how they feel. This is going to give you a great workout to your glutes and your hamstrings,” she says.

4. Side Step Squat

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Exercise number four is called a side-step squat. She recommends getting to the end of your mat, with feet hip-width apart, and getting down into a mini squat. “Engage the core, and you're going to quickly step to the side, maintaining good distance between your feet and staying low the entire time,” she says.

Engage the Core

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“You can do this for about 30 seconds. You'll feel the burn, and you'll get all the benefits of this great load-bearing exercise,” she explains.

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5. Wall Pushup

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“The last exercise is a wall pushup. You are gonna go to a wall, get your hands just below shoulder height and step away from the wall so that you're in a plank position,” she says.

Engage Your Core

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“Engage your core so that your pelvis isn't tilted forward or tucked too far under you, lower yourself down using your arms, and push yourself away. Maintain good form. Keep your chin and repeat 10 to 15 times,” she explains.

Do These Exercises at Least Twice a Week

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“Do all five of these exercises a couple of times a week. And as you're approaching menopause, you will see the benefits of improved bone density and overall strength,” she says.

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Menopause Speeds Up Bone Loss

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According to the Endocrine Society, menopause significantly speeds up bone loss and increases the risk of osteoporosis. “Research indicates that up to 20% of bone loss can happen during these stages, and approximately 1 in 10 women over the age of 60 are affected by osteoporosis worldwide,” they say.

Exercise and Diet Can Make a Big Difference

While there are drugs to treat this, exercise and diet can make a big difference. “A customized exercise regimen supports proper maintenance of the skeleton, including resistance, balance, and weight-bearing exercises,” they say. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 20 Superfoods for People Over 50.

Starting to exercise when you are older can seem overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, a few simple exercises can help you achieve your dream body, according to one fitness expert. Liz Hilliard, 70, looks half her age and seems to know the secret to longevity. The pilates instructor, who trains out of her studio, Hilliard Studio Method, recently spoke to Body Network and revealed her top 7 exercises for staying in shape – and you can do all of them at home.

Plank

Liz Hilliard

Her first exercise is the plank. “It can be done on the forearms or with straight arms and either supported on the knees or with straight legs,” she says. What are the benefits? “Strong Core for strength of the spine and flattened abdominals,” she says.

Push Ups

Copyright Liz Hilliard

Her second exercise is an old-school push-up. “Can be achieved with legs straight or knees on the floor,” she says. Never done a push-up? “Begin by leaning against a wall at an angle with your hands slightly wider than your chest. Bend your elbows, taking your chest to elbow level to protect your shoulders while simultaneously strengthening them. A pushup is simply a moving plank that engages your core muscles and strengthens your upper body and back as well.”

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Bicep Curls with Squats

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Next up, bicep curls with squats “using either light hand weights or resistance bands,” she says.

“Stand with your core engaged, then bend your knees while pushing your seat back as if to sit in a chair, simultaneously bending at the elbows and adding a bicep curl.”

Rows

Copyright Liz Hilliard

Another beneficial exercise is rowing with either hand weights or resistance bands. “Stand with your core connected, hinging your body at the waist forward with weights or resistance bands in hand, then rowing from straight arms low to high by bending your elbows close to your side waist, feeling the back muscles engage and strengthen,” she says.

Note: when using resistance bands, stand evenly on top of them, holding the ends in your hand where you can control the amount of resistance.

Tricep Dips

Copyright Liz Hilliard

Next, triceps dips “utilizing gravity as your mode of resistance,” she says. “Sit on the floor with your hands facing forward just behind you, engage your core to lift your bottom off the floor, then simply bend and extend elbows 8 to 12 times to strengthen and sculpt your triceps (back of your arms.” You can also sit on a chair, shifting forward until your seat is suspended in the air with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then bend and straighten elbows 8 to 12 times.

Quadriceps

Copyright Liz Hilliard

Quadriceps are also great. “Stand with heels together, toes apart at a 45-degree angle. Bend knees, traveling hips straight down toward the heels, keeping your knees in line with toes, never sinking below knee level or to a point where you feel stress on the knee joints,” she says. “Slowly travel down and back up 8 to 12 repetitions.” She notes that this is best done with one hand against a wall until you build the core and leg strength to do without support.

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Hamstrings Utilizing Hip Lifts

Copyright Liz Hilliard

Her last exercise is hamstrings utilizing hip lifts. “Lie flat on the floor with knees bent and feet under your knees. Engage your core with a slight pelvic tilt to lift your hips off the ground. Keep your head and shoulders on the ground lower, and lift your hips 8 to 12 times. Then, hold at the top and do 8 to 12 gentle tucks of the hips to fully engage the back of the legs and buttocks. To advance this hamstring exercise, lift one leg in the air while keeping your hips level so you can focus on one leg at a time,” she says.

She Also Does Pilates

Liz Hilliard

Pilates is Hilliard’s main form of fitness, which she discovered when she was 48 “and immediately felt incredibly challenged. I even had fun, which led me to become certified in Pilates,” she says. In 2002, she opened her first personal Pilates training studio. “It was a successful business, and my clients were seeing real results. However, at age 51, while going through menopause, I noticed despite my Pilates workout, my belly fat was increasing, and my overall strength was decreasing as well, aka flabby arms and sagging bottom.

She Fused Pilates and Strength Training

Liz Hilliard

She has found that when combined with strength training, it makes the perfect workout. “Inspired by my daughter, who was getting married and sculpting up for her wedding, I began researching heavy resistance training and hired my own personal trainer to try to sculpt my 51-year-old, menopausal body. We implemented heavy weight training, and I was determined to debunk the ‘bulking’ myth that most women feel about weightlifting,” she added.

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You Can Take Classes at Her Studio

Liz Hilliard

“The short story is that adding heavier resistance training to my core-centric Pilates workout began to sculpt my body in ways I hadn’t seen before using only traditional Pilates. That’s when I devised my Method. By incorporating heavy resistance with the core-centric exercises of Pilates, the Hilliard Studio Method was born,” she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 31 Fitness Tips Every Beginner Needs to Look Sexy, According to Coaches.