Your Bust & Exercise

Decrease your bust without increasing sagging

A women's bust size is determined by the amount of body fat stored within the chest space and there is a genetic predisposition to fat storage in this area. Every woman can decrease her bust size; it's just that the body will utilize the fat stored in other parts of the body first! A reduction in your body fat percentage will reduce the size of your bust - it may just take a little longer.

Exercise dilemma

Unfortunately, as the bust is made up of fat tissues rather than muscle, the area has a pre-disposition to sag as women get older. Annoyingly, exercise can exacerbate this problem, because increased movement will cause the bust to bounce and stretch more! But don't panic - the right type of exercise and equipment can minimize bouncing while strengthening and firming the muscles that support the bust area.

Find a good sports bra

Finding the right sports bra is crucial and will depend on your activity level and bra size. Try 'Less Bounce' or 'Shock Absorber' as they supply a real range to suit all sizes and activity levels. To help decide on the best style of bra try the 'Shock Absorber' website and their 'bounceometer'!

www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounceometer/shock.html

Resistance training

The best way to prevent 'sagging' of the chest area is to do resistance training for the upper body. If you are a member of a health club then the type of machines to use are a chest press, shoulder press and lateral pull-down. These exercises can also be performed with free weights or bands to increase the demand on the nervous system and muscles. Ask advice from a fitness professional if you need any guidance.

Home exercise

If you aren't a member of a gym you can achieve successful results at home using your bodyweight and a resistance band (very cheap to buy!). Press ups (full or on knees) are a good exercise but it's worth getting your technique checked by a professional to ensure the quality of your movement is right. You could also invest in a workout DVD that has an emphasis on body shaping and toning. For example, 'Michelle McManus - The Lifeplan Workout' is a six-section total body conditioning workout that promotes fitness, burns fat and drives weight loss.

Swimming

Swimming, particularly breaststroke, is a great exercise for reducing and toning the bust area. And as an added benefit, the buoyancy provided by the water solves any uncomfortable bouncing issues!