I lost weight ...but gained bingo wings
Q I AM in my 60s and successfully losing weight. So far this year I’ve managed to lose two-and-a-half stone. One area I’m selfconscious about is my wobbly upper arms. I’m not expecting any miracles, but can you recommend any exercises that might improve the way they look, especially the skin? Or, at my age, am I wasting my time?
A FIRSTLY, well done. But it is vital to maintain the momentum. Focusing on specific areas of the body is a great way to keep up motivation.
Rapid weight loss does mean the skin can appear ‘saggy’. However, exercising the muscles in the upper arms will help to create some shape and minimise the dreaded ‘bingo wing’ effect.
Often, the go-to arm exercise is the triceps dip – but this is quite tough. When starting from scratch, it’s best to try using some light weights in your hands instead. Dumbbells are ideal, but you can use bottles of water instead. Try two to four sets of each of these:
1. Triceps overheads: With a 2-3kg weight in each hand, reach up above your head with both arms. Now bend your elbows so both weights end up behind your head (elbows are completely bent but pointing towards the ceiling). Straighten your arms again to finish. Repeat 15-20 times.
2. Shoulder press: With the same weight in each hand, start with your arms both reaching towards the ceiling. Bend your elbows, keeping your fist pointing up and palms forward, so that your elbows are level with your shoulders. Reach back up towards the ceiling again. Repeat this action 15-20 times.
3. Lateral raises: Stand with the weights in each hand and your hands together in front of the body at pelvis level. Raise your arms away from your sides until you reach a crucifix position, palms towards the floor. Lower and repeat 12-15 times.
Q I’M TRAINING for the Great North Run, using a combination of high-intensity interval training and Pilates. But I have managed to damage a ligament in my lower back, so I can’t do any forward bending or squat exercises. What is safe for someone like me to do?
A LIGAMENTS in any part of the body are slow to heal. And while running, it’s particularly hard to avoid loading the area. Using a strength
routine to maintain good muscle strength and structure is important. You can continue this even when injured, while avoiding anything painful, as this will help to speed up the rate of recovery in the ligament itself.
Try these exercises as part of an overall routine, doing 12-15 repetitions in three or four sets.
1. Body bridge: Lie on your back with your heels on a chair or bench, and knees slightly bent. Calmly and smoothly raise and lower your body and backside off the ground, so only your shoulders, head and heels are in contact with the ground or bench. This primarily works the buttock and hamstring muscles, while providing good strength and developing more stability in the lower back itself.
2. Supported single leg squats: A single leg squat – when supported – does not load the back. Put a towel or rope around a strong stair banister and hold an end in each hand.
Lift one foot slightly off the floor and plant the other slightly ahead of your body. Then bend the standing leg into a 90-degree squat position. Think about using your inner thighs and buttocks to control the movement and to create the power.
3. Kneeling shoulder press: Kneeling upright, or sitting back on your heels, perform a shoulder-press exercise to give you some upper-body strength maintenance work.
Using light to moderate weights, the kneeling position keeps the back in a neutral or very slightly flexed position, which will keep it comfortable and safe while you perform the work on your arms and shoulders.
4. Oblique plank with rotation: Start in the side-plank position, on one side, resting on your elbow and the outer part of the foot on one side, with your body off the ground and in a straight line.
Raise then lower your body up and down sideways by bending at the waist, keeping legs straight at all times – the lowest point should see your hip touching the floor. This exercise works the obliques and strengthens the core, while not exerting undue pressure on to your back.
It goes without saying that if you feel any twinges, stop doing whatever is causing them immediately. But keep up with the workouts or you’ll be physically – and, equally importantly, psychologically – unable to do the run. Keep putting in the effort that you clearly want to.