That soft, loose feeling at the back of the upper arm is something I hear about from women over 60 all the time. I’ve been a personal trainer for four decades and I’m co-founder of TRAINFITNESS, the UK’s best provider of personal training courses. No exercise can tighten loose skin on its own, and you can’t spot-reduce fat from one area, but the right wall exercises build the triceps underneath, and that changes how the whole arm looks.

The Real Problem With Bat Wings

Most women I see with bat wing concerns are dealing with three things at once. There’s loose skin from lost elasticity, which is natural after 60. There’s a layer of fat over the back of the arm. And there’s a loss of tone in the triceps muscle underneath.

The loose skin is the part people notice first, and it’s also the part exercise can’t fully fix. You can’t spot-reduce fat from one area either. What you can do is build the triceps so the arm is firmer and better shaped, and that changes how the whole area looks.

RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises That Shrink Waist Bulge Faster Than Gym Workouts After 50

Why Wall Exercises Work

Wall exercises are brilliant for this because they’re gentle on the joints and they let you control the load. A woman over 60 doesn’t need to be on the floor doing press-ups to build her triceps. Standing at a wall gives you a safe, stable position where you can focus on the muscle working.

The angle of the wall means you can make the exercise easier or harder just by moving your feet. And because the movement is controlled, you’re less likely to compensate with other muscles. That matters when the goal is to work the back of the arm properly.

Close-Hand Wall Push-Up

 

The back of the upper arm is the triceps, and a close hand position pushes the work into the triceps rather than the chest. Building the triceps fills out and firms the area where bat wings sag.

How to Do It:

• Stand facing a wall, about two feet back.
• Place your hands on the wall at chest height, close together so your thumbs and index fingers nearly form a triangle.
• Keep your body straight from heels to head.
• Bend your elbows so they track back along your ribs, lowering your chest toward the wall.
• Push back to the start.
• Do 10 to 12 repetitions.

Avoid These Mistakes:

• Don’t let your elbows flare out to the sides. That shifts the work to your chest. Keep your elbows tucked close to your body so the back of your arm does the work.

RELATED: 7 Evening Stretching Moves That Ease Joint Pain and Help You Sleep Better After 60

Wall Overhead Triceps Extension

This isolates the triceps through the straightening of the elbow, which is exactly the muscle that gives the back of the arm its shape.

How to Do It:

• Stand facing the wall, about a forearm’s length away.
• Place your palms flat on the wall above head height, keeping your upper arms still.
• Bend only your elbows to bring the top of your head toward the wall.
• Straighten your arms to push back out.
• Do 10 to 12 repetitions.

Avoid These Mistakes:

• Don’t move your whole body toward the wall from your shoulders or hips. Keep your upper arms still and only move your forearms.

Wall Shoulder Taps

This works the back of the arm and the shoulder together while holding the body steady, adding tone across the whole upper arm and shoulder so it looks firmer.

How to Do It:

• Stand facing the wall and lean in with both hands on the wall a little wider than your shoulders, body straight and leaning at a comfortable angle.
• Keep your hips level and steady.
• Lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder.
• Return it, then tap with the other hand.
• Do 8 to 10 taps in total.

Avoid These Mistakes:

• Don’t let your hips twist or sway as you lift your hand. Keep your body steady, and step your feet further back to make it harder as you get stronger.

RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises That Restore Walking Strength Faster Than Treadmills After 65

How Often to Do This

Three or four times a week is enough, and you want a day of rest between sessions. Muscle grows on the rest day, not during the workout, so don’t be tempted to do these every day. Start with two sets of each exercise and build to three as you get stronger.

On the other days, add some walking or general activity. Reducing the fat layer needs overall movement, not just arm work, so the more you move the whole body, the better your arms will look.

What to Expect

Within 21 days, most people feel their arm is firmer and stronger, and you might see a little early shape. But I want to be honest: visibly smoother arms take longer than three weeks. Loose skin won’t fully tighten with exercise alone.

Real change in how your arm looks comes over 8 to 12 weeks of doing these exercises consistently, plus managing overall body fat through general activity and eating. Keep showing up consistently and your arms will look completely different after a few months.

The post 3 Wall Exercises That Smooth Bat Wings in 21 Days After 60 appeared first on Eat This Not That.