Armflab

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ARM FLAB

As we age, our skin loses elastin and collagen-the connective tissues that hold everything together. But when your body starts to produce less collagen and elastin, your skin starts to sag. The overall result is loose, flabby skin that, under your arms, just hangs.

Tone at home

Push forward

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat or heels resting on the floor and palm flat on the floor beside your hips with your fingers pointing forward. Bend your elbows and lean back, supporting your upper-body weight with your arms and keeping your hands in place by your hips. Then, using your hands, press youself forward, straightening your arms until you're sitting upright once again.

Bend your elbows

To further biuld your triceps muscles, pick up a one to three pound dunbbell in your right hand, then sit up straight on a bench or chair, holding the weight at your right shoulder. Put your left hand under your right elbow to help you steady the weight-bearing arm.

Then gently lift the bent arm upward from the front until your right elbow is above your right shoulder. Your arm remains bent, and your weight is behind your head. This is a starting position. Hold that position for about one second, then leaving your left hand in place-slowly extend your right elbow and raise the weight above your right shoulder. Hold that position for another second, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 12 to 15 times. That's a set.

Switch the dumbbell to your left hand and repeat the exercise. When you've finished, switch back to the right, then repeat the entire 12 to 15 repetitions a second time on the right side. Switch to the left and repeat the entire 12 to 15 repetitions a second time.

Try two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions twice a week. You may choose to progress to three sets or as you become stronger and the exercise becomes easier, switch to a heavier weight and decrease the number of repetitions to 8 to 10.