How to get rid of arm fat is a nagging problem many women face as they transition through the decades of life. That unsightly jiggle of loose under arm fat, bothers women and often hammers on their self esteem. It becomes an embarrassment for some women to publicly reveal their arms in short sleeve shirts, sleeveless dresses or bathing suits. I have worked with numerous women who have been challenged and confused on the proper way of how to get rid of arm fat. After 20 years of trial and error and beating my head against the wall, I decided to seek additional educational resources outside the fitness industry to better fine tune my approach to complex female related body fat issues. I have learned and applied a lot of new approaches to women’s weight loss and I have never been so pleased with such wonderful results. The techniques described in popular magazines such as Shape or Women’s Health are partially correct in their methodology on how to get rid of arm fat, but in my opinion, and the opinions of medical and holistic researchers, who are now shedding new light on reduce the fat on your arms, the media’s approach is biased, one dimensional and often misleading. If fact, many magazine experts are years behind the current funded research studies.

Woman’s arms compared to mens from a physiological perspective on how to get rid of body weight.

As we get older, the muscle in our body shrinks, a condition known as atrophy. This atrophy contributes to loosening skin not only from our arms, but from the hips, buttocks, abdominals, under the chin and the chest. As some people get older, they become inactive, which perpetuates a drop in metabolism, which further leads to an increase in fat around our body. When our metabolism drops, our thyroid, liver, pancreas and adrenal glands fail to work properly. These organs are vital components of our endocrine system which regulate human hormones. This change in hormones, also adds to the fat gain and muscle wasting phenomena. With this information in mind, and the unfortunate fact that women often have twice the amount of body fat then men, women need to approach weight loss differently then men. This weight loss difference is because women have a lower fat oxidation rate (The ability to burn fat for fuel while resting) then men. As mentioned in my epic article Mistakes you make when trying to lose body fat, a woman’s hormonal balance and the ability to engage it through nutrition, movement, hydration, breathing and quiet times is absolutely vital to body fat loss, including the detailed steps involved on how to get rid of arm fat.

Lifestyle consideration’s on how to get rid of arm fat.

Numerous expert researchers investigating the psychosomatic affects of body fat gain and where the fat gain will be distributed, have determined that body fat on women is distributed around the the waist line, hips and the arms. The culprit is the neurohormone called Glucocortisol. The best solution to reducing glucocortisol from the body begins by making lifestyle adjustments.

Tip #1. Understand your body’s need for sleep and that the circadian rhythm is the human body’s natural repair system for both physical and mental reconstruction. Inadequate sleep destroys vital growth hormones which are designed to make you lean and healthy. Less than 7 hours of sleep per night will signal the evil neuro-hormone glucocortisol to coat the body with an extra layer of fat while simultaneously lowering the basal metabolic rate. The National Sleep Foundation research studies have repeatedly shown that sleep deprived individuals become morbidly obese. So what to do if you suffer from insomnia or poor sleeping behaviors? Get a Holistic Lifestyle Coach who specializes in cognitive behavior to guide you towards the proper techniques to improve your sleep quality. There are many variables involved with poor sleep performance that go beyond the scope of this article. But one thing science does know is sleep medications actually make the problem worse, and do put you at risk for stroke. Many sleep experts recommend lifestyle coaching or cognitive behavior coaching, over the pharmaceutical approach to sleep. Your lifestyle coach may suggest simple fixes such as nutrient changes in your diet, magnesium supplementation or reducing electromagnetic frequency exposure 2 hours before bedtime. These are just a few of the many modalities a Holistic Lifestyle Coach uses to change faulty sleeping patterns.

Tip #2. Understand and modify the stimuli that create an abundance of stress in your life. Just being mindful and recognizing that you are stressed beyond belief is a big plus. Many people are in denial and believe stress is just a fact of life. Yes, stress is predominant in everyday life, but it can be minimized by reframing the stressful situation is a positive way, and knowing when to take a time out for yourself. Centering yourself on deep breathing and relaxation techniques may seem hyper-holistic, but modern science has repeatedly shown that a short three minute meditation session can dramatically alter the brains neurochemistry. Psychologists studying the science of mindfulness have found that meditation can take you out of the sympathetic nervous system fight or flight response very quickly, and therefore reduce the effects of damaging glucocortisol hormones. If you recall , it’s the neurohormone glucocortisol that contributes to the conundrum on how to get rid of arm fat. A fun and easy way to learn about the art of meditation and mindfulness is through the app called Breethe. The Breethe app offers a free introductory offer and then a small monthly subscription thereafter. Its well worth the small investment! If meditation and mindfulness training is not your thing, then another wonderful option is taking a relaxing Kundalini Yoga class. Kundalini Yoga classes focuses on meditation and breathing in addition to postures. Other alternative forms of yoga such as Ashtanga, Power and Bikram are less relaxing and have a strength component to them. Consider these alternative forms of yoga when your stress levels have abated.

Tip #3. Know when to “work in” and when to “work out.” Our bodies are unique. They respond hormonally to too little, or too much movement or exercise. It’s not unusual to see women over exercise by doing hours of senseless cardio in the gym, in a futile attempt to rapidly lose body fat. Unbeknownst to the female cardio addict, is the hard cold fact that her body is actually accumulating high levels of lipogenic fat building hormone. It is important to remember that exercise is a stressor, and until the body adapts, periods of “working in” must be interspersed between days of working out. Working In is best described as a lower impact exercise regimen which stimulates the rest/digest parasympathetic nervous system. The human body will greatly benefit from a lower impact work in session, by down regulating harmful glucocortisol levels. Good examples of working in movements include myofascial release techniques with trigger point tools and foam rollers, Qigong energy work, or active and passive stretching of the entire body. Working In techniques are all the rage with amateur and professional athletes to better fine tune their bodies. In summary, too much exercise stress undermines a woman’s goal to lose fat weight and specifically their goal to reduce stubborn under arm fat.

Tip #4. Know what you are eating. What you put in your mouth greatly affects your hormone stability. As a woman ages, hormones undulate and are greatly affected by numerous factors as previously mentioned. Many women fall pray to fad diets, which all cause a decrease in caloric intake, down regulate sugar synthesis and create a dehydrating effect on the body. All contribute to weight loss debilitating physiological stressors. Experts have proven that there is no, one specific diet the works best for women. What has been concluded by metabolic nutritionists, is that a whole food diet, organically based, free of chemicals preservatives and hidden sugars is the best approach. There must be a sensible caloric limit, but NEVER to the point of starvation which also creates a hormone stressor. I am a firm believer that woman’s nutrition must be carefully monitored by a health and fitness expert who understands holistic nutrition. Simply saying that a 145 pound woman should be only eating 1200 calories per day is very wrong. At the very least, a baseline metabolic panel must be done to determine a woman’s hormone status, thyroid levels and liver functions. Even better, Female Hormone Testing can determine your HPA stress hormone status, estradiol, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone. Once the results are in, an appropriate nutrition plan can be implemented by the health and fitness expert, which will supplement your goal to reduce arm fat.

Tip #5. Your exercise choices are important but not that important. You will find hundreds of articles claiming that you must do this specific tricep extension or press technique to lean out your tricep, but don’t be fooled by the media hype. I can tell you with 100% certainty, that YES, you can build up the tricep and bicep muscles, but NOTHING will change if you ignore “Tips” 1-4. What you will notice is that the girth of your arm will change, but the overlying coat of fat won’t change at all. You will be strong, but the appearance of your arm won’t show it. Once you are confidently able to apply all the steps mentioned on how to get rid of arm fat, you will see nice aesthetic results. It won’t be an easy task to do, and I suggest you hire an expert to guide you through each and every detailed step. Lifestyle change is difficult for everyone and good solid coaching with expertise in Holistic health, nutrition and exercise science will take you in the right direction in the least amount of time.

In summary, I have been in the health and fitness industry since 1999 and have more schooling and client hours than 99% of personal fitness trainers in the industry. Eighty percent of my clients are females who have been plagued with the perplexing question of how to get rid of arm fat. Through trial and error and seeking the advise of leading experts in holistic medicine and nutrition, I finally recognized that diet and exercise alone just doesn’t work. I dedicate this post to all women out there who have spent thousands of dollars on fad diets, fake exercise and valuable time trying to solve the perplexing problem of how to get rid of arm fat. Implement my tips and please leave a comment below on how things are going for you. And remember, if you need help, I am just a keystroke away. Contact me through the Every Bit Fit Website for your complimentary one hour consultation.

Rivak Hoffman is Scottsdale Arizona’s best personal trainer, nutritionist and Holistic Lifestyle Health Coach.

He is an avid writer, science geek, holistic lifestyle guru and die hard fitness enthusiast.

He is the President of Every Bit Fit Arizona and is always available to answer your questions. Go to Every Bit Fit Arizona for your one hour complimentary consultation.